My King, My Naga, My Friend
by Shard588
Summary: <html><head></head>The world is a cruel place to breathe in. One young hedgehog forced into slavery learned that the hard way. But with the help of her friend and her new owner, she will remember what it means to hope for a better tomorrow. A Sonic universe with Sonic OCs only. Nagas, mythical creatures, transformations, and sensitive material.</html>
1. Chapter 1- A Broken Soul

**Chapter One :**_ A Broken Soul_

_Pu-boom! Pu-boom! Pu-boom!_

It was like a never-ending fall for her young heart. The pounding in her chest screamed at her to stop. She didn't want any part of this. The huge, brown, double-doors before her marked the gateway to another night of absolute humiliation.

And she was falling ever-so-slowly to that door. Step… by… step… She had no choice in the matter. If someone was called to the master, they obeyed without hesitation.

But she wanted ever-so-badly to run away. The cuffs around her wrists rubbed her skin raw. The brown fur that used to be there had been rubbed off to expose a red-pink sore. She had deep purple bags under her eyes from her constant tears and even more frequent nightmares. Every time she closed her eyes… _they_ appeared. The absolute horrors which haunt her every waking thought.

"Get over here, dumb slave!" The strong mole snarled, pulling the chains with him roughly. The ragged girl following him nearly tripped forward at the tug. Every bit of force put on her felt ten-fold. She was weak from insomnia and never-ending hunger. But for ten years she had to live under these conditions. For ten years she had never once slept peacefully, eaten any more than two slices of bread a day, or ever enjoyed a single moment of her life. For ten years it's been a never-ending cycle of pain, humiliation, more pain, nightmares, and yet more pain to shatter whatever's left of her hope.

A long, long time ago, she admitted the fact she was never going to be able to get out of the caravan's slave-hold. A circus, as they called themselves. Her parents gave her up when she was only six, an age where the wonders of the world to an innocent child were pure and magical.

The heavy wooden doors opened with a loud _creak_ and the abused brown hedgehog was thrown in. She tried to catch her footing, but one limping foot caught another by behind. In a mere two seconds she crashed forward on her left side, skidding on her hip, arm, leg, and a portion of her chin on the uneven stone tiles. The building she was in wasn't the caravan's doing at all. She had only gotten the news she had been offered as a trade for money a minute or two ago. Someone must've seen her earlier when arriving in the town. This, she believed, was the city council hall.

"Stand up, petty girl!" A snobbish noble voice ordered. Being told to do so, the girl did her best to stand on her aching feet, throbbing with pain. She barely managed to hold her breath from sobbing. This was her one and only chance to get out. She couldn't mess it up. She had her eyes closed as tightly as possible, as that aided her from releasing tears.

If only she didn't see _them_…

"She's much too feeble." The noble-snobbish voice criticized, whacking what the girl thought must be a wooden stick on her calf. "Too short, no good posture in any way, shape or form-" There was a pause. Even in this harsh environment, maybe there was one good thing about the slave. Just _one_ thing.

"And don't even get me started how _ugly_ her face is." The lady sneered. "It's hideous, unpresentable, incurable…" The comments kept piling on and on. This was the slave's one chance to get out of the caravan and into a decent house, remaining a slave or not.

And the faint light of hope was shattered like the effort to keep from sobbing. She lost… As quickly as it was offered, her hope was lost again.

"And look at that! She knows it, too! This ungrateful _thing_ is of no use to my husband and I! Take her away, right now!" She fell to her knees for her legs gave out. But even so, the escort yanked the chain holding her wrists together and forced the brunet to turn a 180 and drag along the ground again back through the doors. "I never want to see that face in this place ever again!"

* * *

><p>She had only counted three breaths between her sobbing before she felt her escort's huge, rough hand clamp on her shoulder, lift her up, and toss her into a steel cage- <em>her<em> steel cage. Open bars for no privacy, steel flooring, a thin sheet of metal for the roof, and room enough for only two.

Which was occupied by one other.

"Get 'ya act te'getha fer' te'morro, 'ya clown!" The man's cruel words demanded of the abused girl. Any further verbal attacks would've been drowned out by her moans and sobbing. As soon as the guard left, a gentle hand took hold of the poor slave's arm.

"Shhh, it's all right Melody…" A soft, female voice tried to encourage. Although she looked no better off. Her snow-white fur was stained with an assortment of disgustingly-colored liquids; coffee, jam, tobacco-spit, even blood that wasn't her own. Her bangs covered half of her face, a black eye being part of it. Her hair reached all the way down to her mid-back, but because it was messy and frizzed-up it looked shorter and more outward than it already was.

Both girls were clear definitions of abused just physically. It was heart-wrenching to see either one.

"Melody…" The second continued, scooting closer to better comfort her cell-mate. "It's all right. Whatever they said it's not true, and you know it…"

"We're never getting out…" The brunette, Melody, sobbed, hiding her face behind her hands. "No one will buy us out… I'm hideous…"

"That is not true." Her comforting friend denied, taking the whole girl into her arms from the floor. She rocked side-to-side like her father did when she was younger before she was brought into this damned nightmare. "Melody, you're the most gorgeous, kindest, most thoughtful friend I've ever had." Tears ran down her face. She was sure this poor soul would've been spared from further damage in her spirit this time. When they collected her friend, all she could pray was her gratitude for saving her friend, never once asking for an equal reward for herself.

Now it was apparent it was only false hope, something so crushing it would murder an infant who couldn't even understand a single word.

"I'm so sorry, Lor…" Melody cried into the white fur, clinging on to her shoulders for dear life to remind herself her friend was there with her. "I couldn't get us out…"

"Shh, don't you dare blame yourself. Whoever it was, they missed out on the purest soul money could never buy." Whether it made sense or not, Melody hushed her words and drowned the silent night in her slowly-dying wails. When she had calmed down to a quiet sniffle, Lor placed a kiss on Melody's forehead.

"Tomorrow will be a new day." She said softly, trying to keep spirits high enough to keep fighting through this endless war. "Someone will see you and say 'I want that girl! I want that girl so bad, I will free her and make her my wife! That's how beautiful she is!'"

"A-and will… Will I free you, too?" Melody quivered in Lor's shoulder.

"Don't even worry about me. Let's get you out first. Then we'll see what we can do. But don't even think about me before you, do you understand?"

"O-o-oui…" Melody coughed from the lump in her throat.

'_Please, if there is a God out there,_' Lor prayed in her head as she held Melody tightly. '_Spare her from another day's wrath! I will gladly take her place and carry on without her! Let your child, my dearest sister, remember the reason why she was born into this world! Please, I'm begging you!_'

* * *

><p>As the night drew on, both girls were finally able to close their eyes and sleep through the rest of the moon's peak. As the gibbous moon fell and the sky gradually turned to a lighter blue, the surrounding area was suddenly filled with a blood-curling, ear-piercing scream of pain and agony. Lor awoke with a jolt and immediately saw Melody thrashing about just a foot away from her, screaming her lungs off.<p>

"MAKE IT STOP! I'LL DO BETTER, I PROMISE! GO AWAY, _S'IL VOUS PLAÎT_ !"

"Melody!" Lor lunged forward and covered her mouth as she encircled her arms around her shoulders. "Shh! Wake up! It's just a nightmare! Melody, please, wake up! You're all right!"

Melody's eyes flew open with tears streaming down her face, the first time in what felt like forever she exposed her bright hazel eyes. She gasped and ceased her wailing. "There, see?" Lor smiled, never once pulling away from their embrace. "No performance. You're all right-"

"Hey! What're you two doing?!" A young man's voice demanded just outside the cage. Both girls flinched, but that didn't stop the door from opening. Two burley hands clamped down on their arms and dragged them out. "I told you two to stay quiet! Now you're gonna get it!"

A loud series of _Snaps_ and _Cracks_ echoed around them. The two were separated through their desperation to hold on, and Lor was dragged to a wooden stand with a long latch on the top and three holes.

The stocks, which everyone in this encounter knew _very_ well.

"It was all me!" Lor cried out. "I screamed! She has nothing to do-"

"Aw, shut-up!" The crow jeered as he planted her wrists and neck into the slots, slamming the latch close and locking it. "Twenty snaps! Ten down, ten to the side! Then twenty-five for the ugly one however you see fit!"

Melody watched in horror as one raven with dark feathers raised his arm, brightly exposing the worn, stained rope in the morning sun just peeping over the horizon.

_Snap!_

* * *

><p>Gold-furred ears flicked inside the crowded stage room. Orange bangs swung to the side as a head turned, investigating the "merry" festival. Deep brown eyes scanned the area.<p>

"What's wrong, your grace?" a dark, nearly black with blue streaked-quills, hedgehog asked, who stood next to a gold-brown wolf-torso behind a counter. Both were dressed with soft cloth with elaborate designs hand-sewn along the cuffs.

"Did they announce the next performance?" The rather young royal girl asked slowly.

"Yes. They had just finished saying the buffoons are arriving."

No sooner had he finished a huge roar of laughter came over the mass of watchers. They were mocking none other than two tired hedgehogs slathered with white face-paint and dressed in ridiculous cloths, even wearing blue and purple wigs with red painted around their mouths to imitate a comical smile.

One had a violin, the other had small fabric flags of green and yellow tied around her wrists and ankles.

"Play, 'ya stupid clowns!" One rude audience member demanded just as soft drum music began. The wolf girl raised her head a little higher to see the performance better, immediately taking pity on the performers, but thought it comical in any way. Though buffoons? Why them, of all possible performers? Why not just plain bards or exotic dancers for creativity?

Whatever their reasoning is, they sure had some guts. Especially since the crowd was booing and howling the whole time.

That was when she spotted two things with her keen eyes. One, tomatoes were being handed down from the sides of the stage to the audience members, who each took several with thirsty eyes. Second, both performers were flinching. Not because of the tomatoes. No, every time they moved a certain way, they cringed. That's probably why the one playing the violin was screwing up with the song and the dancer was reluctant to move.

"Thorn," She ordered in a low tone. "I am going to stop this madness."

"Y-your grace!" The armed hedgehog, Thorn, sounded down-right baffled. "You know you'll get hurt!"

"They're in pain," Her torso rose and turned to leave the counter, exposing orange and peach scales at her waist and further down, ending in a snake tail dragging behind her. "And they wouldn't dare harm a naga!"

As she tried to slip to the back room, the two "buffoons" were highly aware of what was next. They had to do this every performance; suffer through the embarrassment of not only performing like this, but endure the shame of fruits thrown at them with constant put-downs and hisses.

But worst of all was the pain on their back. Twenty to twenty-five lashes, and all because of Melody's stupid nightmare of this exact thing. The disgrace the audience gave her with every performance she gave, no matter what she did, was never even decent, far from that!

Just like how her parents gave her up ten years ago…

Just as the dancer, Lor, was crossing over to the other side, a tomato smashed directly into her cheek, forcing her to stop for a second. But that was more than enough time to rile-up the crowd. Another was tossed, missing the violist by inches. The next two, however, hit them both.

"Stop!" The naga ordered as her wolf-top appeared past the cheaply-made curtains. But it was too late. The whole crowd flung their missiles with full force, pounding mostly on the two performers. The naga threw her body forward to protect the two with her own form while the latter huddled together, unaware of the strange twist in their routine.

The stage became a red mess once every tomato had been thrown. Pools of red juice, seeds, and peels littered everything from the floor to the curtains and, obviously, the three bodies. A hushed silence befell upon the recently rowdy crowd once the wolf-naga moved from her stance, soaked in tomato juice and skin.

She glanced behind her and let out a breath of relief when she saw the two girls with minor damage compared to herself.

Then with a fuming rage, she turned to the audience. "Constan!" She shouted to the mass of fearful faces. "Constan! You and I need a little _talk_."

"Right here, your grace." The dark hedgehog approached from behind with a rather short weasel walking (or rather struggling) right in front with his hands bound behind. Once the conman was a few feet away from the naga, they both stopped and looked directly at the princess, weasel with fear.

"Thorn…" She said gently, never parting her intimidating gaze with the ring master. "Please lead these two out of here so they may wash their face. Treat them with the respect they deserve after this _disgusting_ act." As she spat out the last few words, her forked tongue flexed out to the wincing leader.

"As you wish." Thorn bowed his head, released the prisoner, and offered a hand to the two flabbergasted girls.

* * *

><p>"She was right…" Thorn spoke as Lor splashed water on herself from the pump. He had asked kindly for Melody to remove her shirt, for he saw how painful it was for both to even walk. He did not want to see the front, as he immediately saw what was on her back side; countless scabbed lines running across her skin in almost every direction possible. He, himself, wanted to cringe at the sight. "You poor girls."<p>

"I-I… I'm sorry…" Melody softly let out an apology. Thorn raised an eyebrow.

"For what? You've done nothing wrong. It was those damned fools with their sick joke that caused all this."

"F-for being… such a bother…"

"Hush now, child." The way he spoke made him sound as if he was much older, though he looked only a year or two older at the most. "The only bother is the slave-owner, and Princess Neveah will set him straight."

"Princess?" Lor walked over, now free from facial paint. Thorn nodded.

"You've entered Rattalia territory, kingdom of the naga family. Princess Neveah had to represent King Arlax because he had other business to attend to."

Melody had caught on by now and her head and stomach spiraled and flipped in loops, making her sick enough to release what little food she had left.

"Poor child…" Thorn sighed piteously at the sight.

"S-sir?" Lor approached Thorn with one arm comforting the bent-over girl. "Wh-what's going to happen to us? We can't stay here. We'll-"

"You'll die, yes." A comforting voice came from around the corner. Melody looked up just high enough to see Princess Neveah slither to them with papers in hand. "Which is why you're coming with us, children. You are free from these monsters and are now property of the Rattalian family."

That was when Melody passed out of pure exhaustion.

* * *

><p><strong>All right, peeps. At first I was against posting an "author's note" here, but it's 11:40 at night, I just finished watching several "react to 5 nights at Freddy's" videos, and I'm trying to get the second chapter done. Mind you, this is my first <strong>posted** story, not first written.**

**But if 'yall have some comments to make, please let 'em rip. Leave a review or PM me, I don't care. :D If you have suggestions on replacing some kines to make more sense grammar-wise, by golly let me hear 'em!**

**Lemme tell you a secret: If this was a touchy-chapter for you, then be prepared to be BORED out of your mind. I can't keep this writing style up forever. So if you EVER have ideas how to better phrase things I say and your idea nails what I'm trying to say, lemme hear 'em!**

**And another; there is no set schedule how often these chapters will add on. It's a "come as it goes" policy. Sorry.**

**I've also realized the breaks I tried making wouldn't save onto the file. I'm hoping the lines will substitute until I can figure out a more efficient way to establish breaks.**

* * *

><p><span><strong>UPDATE!<strong>** Kelly's name has been changed to Neveah. This would also be a good time to give the copywrite.**

**What is mine:****  
>Melody Hedgehog<br>The Story  
>Arlax<br>Constan**

**A dear friend/sister of mine known as Scuffy:****  
>Lor Hedgehog<strong>

**A dear friend/sister of mine known as FrozenDarkness on deviantArt:****  
>Neveah<br>Thorn**


	2. Chapter 2- A Family

**Chapter Two:**_ A Family_

For the longest time, Melody was completely empty. She felt as though she were floating, given the feeling her head and legs were hanging on their own. Was she being held up by ropes attached to the ceiling? That would match the description perfectly how limp and weak she felt.

Assuming she was being held by ropes, questions came across her thoughts. How did she get here? Who intended this? Was Lor all right? Was everything a dream before? Were there really such things as Rattalia, Princess Neveah, even the guard Thorn? At least, that may have been his name. She could only think of his name being said once, but when was that? Everything was a bit blurry in her head.

And to disturb her even further, there was a focused beam of light shining directly onto her closed eyelids. More than likely it was the sun.

But wait… She's hanging by a few lengths of rope. How could she be outside in the sun and yet hang from a ceiling? That question was stuck in her weary head for who knows how long before she worked up the strength to just barely open her lids.

"Ungh…" She moaned softly as her arm slowly lifted to shield her eyes.

"Good afternoon, child." A gentle, familiar voice openly welcomed the hedgehog warmly to the conscious world. But despite the intention, Melody's hazel eyes flung open and looked around frantically.

"Wh-wha-?!"

"Whoa there," Her carrier laughed. "Slow down, there's nothing to worry about."

Now that she could definitely process her setting a bit better, she found out she was being carried by Princess Neveah in her arms. So the past events weren't part of a dream at all. Everything from Neveah's torso and up was large compared to Melody's. From the former's head to where her reptilian scales started, Melody's whole body aligned perfectly by height. In this perspective, she really did feel like a child.

The brunette glanced away for a moment to see where they were; nothing but thick forestry of emerald green trees, green and gold grass, various colors of flowers, and a soft brown dirt road they were passing along. Neveah was carrying her through the thicket like a stroll through the park…

If only the weak girl knew what the even felt like. She just heard that phrase before in the circus. But, upon thinking that very thought, she flinched. Neveah must've noticed because she spoke, "Your friend has been telling me a lot about you."

"Lor?" Melody looked up, suddenly full of concern. Of course! She had almost completely forgotten Lor!

Neveah nodded and hummed a yes. "After you passed out in front of the water pump, she explained the abusive environment you lived in day-in-day-out for ten years. In fact, you were solely treated worse than anyone else. Twenty-five lashes when she had twenty?"

Melody covered her face and grew to a guilty sniffle. She didn't deserve this act of kindness. It was always her fault, anyways. Lor even tried taking all the blame almost every time. She risked her own safety and health to be right next to her when she could've been much better off ignoring her.

"Hush, child." Neveah comforted, bringing the hedgehog in closer for a hug. "Do not take light of the things you've endured. I believe my loyal guard Thorn told you it was those damned fools who caused all this pain, am I right?" Melody nodded, flashing a tear with the sun's light running down the side of her face. "But that's all done forever. You'll never see those people ever again."

"Wh-where are we going?" Melody croaked. She gripped her throat and strained her face. From the mixture of dehydration and a sorrowful lump, it hurt to speak.

"We're going home." Neveah explained softly, looking down to meet the girl's eyes with that gentle smile of hers. "You belong to the Rattalia family now, and your king will make sure you'll be treated with the kindness you deserve, as will I and my two sisters.

"Well…" She went on rambling. "They're not _reall_y related to me by blood. But my brother, Arlax, has a history with them. They're his adoptive family, so as his sister I followed and grew to love them just as much as I love him."

"One big… family?" Melody faintly asked.

"Yes. My brother and I share a common belief: It is not blood that make a family, but acceptance and love. I believe my sisters follow that as well, but I cannot speak on their behalf."

"Sisters…" Melody spaced-out after hearing that word repeatedly. She had no siblings of her own, and she thanked the creator for that. How easily her parents gave her up after six years of never being good enough was traumatizing. She had no idea where she'd be right now if she had a sibling. If they kept the other, why was it her to go? If they kept her instead, why them? If both… How would she be able to protect them in such a cruel place?

"You're working yourself up again." Neveah sighed, followed by a chuckle and Melody's immediate cease of thoughts. It didn't help that her quickening panting could be felt on the naga's abdomen surface. "Melody, I promise you on my very life you'll never be hurt again. I swear on Rattalia's honor."

This certainly caught Melody off-guard. Swearing on royal honor for such a petty, weak, no-good, even _hideous_ girl? She was in no place to be receiving this promise!

"H-hey!" Someone shouted from behind. "Wh-what're you doing?! I can walk!"

"Not when you're asleep." Another voice answered bluntly just as Neveah turned around enough for both girls to see Lor and Thorn respectively, with the former sitting on the other's shoulders.

"Lor!" Melody gasped as she tried to sit up, flinching at the pain. Her confused friend looked up and saw the brunette, nearly wanting to fly over to her herself.

"Melody!"

"It's good to see you've recovered some strength." Neveah said. "I would have carried you myself but your friend was in no position to be carried any other way."

"Oh, praise whatever god is out there!" Lor looked up to the sky with a huge smile of relief. "It wasn't a dream at all! We're finally out of that hell-mouth!"

"We're approaching the castle, your grace." Thorn pointed out, seemingly uncaring of his cargo's happiness. When Melody was turned back around to face ahead, she was awe-struck at the sight.

A huge stone castle stood in an even bigger clearing with decently-developed communities surrounding the stone palace. Everything looked bright and peaceful, like a land directly from a fairytale.

"Impressive, isn't it?" Neveah sighed, taking a moment from gliding across the ground to breathe. Melody nodded, unable to speak. "_This_ is the capital of Rattalia territory. Welcome to Azurla, you two. Welcome home."

* * *

><p>"This way." Thorn called to the group trailing behind him. Since he and Princess Neveah saw first-hand the damage done to Melody's- and Lor's back alone, it was their first priority to heal as much as they could before presenting to the king. But because they could not yet walk due to the pain and Neveah had to report to Arlax, Thorn was left with the task to transport both to the spring. And because he was just a hedgehog himself, completing that task would be much more difficult alone.<p>

Thankfully he was able to grab some servants and place both girls on cushioned seats with carrying poles on the bottom. The workers were more than willing to oblige and help in any way they could, so they carried the beaten and tired two with no complaints. In each mind, they said their master would do the same if it were them.

"Right there will be fine." Thorn pointed to the pool's edge, signaling the kind servants where to place the seats. The water was practically glowing blue. It looked so pure and clean. Every ripple the noon sunlight reflected off only made it that much more dazzling and the waterfall just a ways ahead gave the sense of peace.

"This is beautiful, _monsieur_." Melody gaped at the beauty.

"Get in." The guard gestured to the water, looking at the dirty-white furred girl.

"What?" Lor blushed.

"Get in the water."

"But- but why?"

"Just trust me."

Hesitantly, Lor stood and stepped slowly over to the pool's edge. That's why they were so close. Once her white foot broke the water's surface, she shuttered.

"It's cold…" She winced.

"Good." Thorn stood his ground with his arms crossed. "That means Shard accepts your presence."

"Who?" Lor asked, slowly adding her other foot and rubbing her arms from the chill.

"Shard, the guardian of this spring; assigned by the king of Rattalia himself."

What kind of creature would be trusted enough to protect such a divine source of water? In Melody's head, theories and scary fairytale beasts came to mind. What if the guardian was a fish-looking octopus with a hundred tentacles that shocked anyone whom dared to walk to close? Maybe it wasn't a creature at all, but another hedgehog with aquatic abilities? A water nymph, perhaps?

Before Melody realized it, the water was now up to Lor's chest. "One other thing, Lor," Thorn called to her, causing her to turn around with a strained face. Maybe the water was too cold for her. "In order for Shard to heal your wounds, he will need to touch your skin. You have an option."

"An option of what?" Lor called back, huddling her arms around herself.

"An option of who removes your rags." As soon as he finished, Lor turned away quickly to hide a blush forming on her face. "My apologies. I would assume you'd want to at least hide in the water before I said so. Do you want me to leave you for now?" It was difficult to tell at first, but Lor's head nodded.

Melody felt terrible. Lor had been through enough as it was. Exposing herself was a mark of humility she was forced to do after every performance. Melody could remember it so clearly- every story she told of perverted and rude men _and_ women flipping her skirt up, the loose one where a stray finger could potentially drop the dress from her top and shame her to tears, often times drowned out by hoots and hollers from drunkards.

And each story reminded Melody why she never had to suffer through such things. She was the ugly one. Though Lor tried to reason that lie saved her many, many times, it was still true nonetheless. Who would ever want to see a girl with baggy eyes, bruises everywhere, a scabbed back, disgustingly greasy hair, an already-covered chest with fur, and open patches where fur had rubbed off clean? She looked sick beyond recovering, like an infection took to her throat and spread throughout her body.

At least, that's how she looked five months ago when a guard brought a mirror to prove how she looked; the first time she had ever seen herself since she was six. She was a hag. Her own reflection scared her to death.

_Splash!_

Melody looked up from her deep-thinking to see Lor had thrown her soaking rags to the edge of the water. It was apparent she would rather undress herself than let another hand do it for her. Now that remained was her multi-colored stained white fur and hair, half of her face that wasn't covered by bangs, and her chest to the point where her collar-bone just reached the water.

"Melody…" Lor said seriously, not turning to face her. "I have a feeling you will have to do the exact same. When you come in, do not be afraid. Am I clear?"

The brunette could only nod. She wanted to say something, but her throat made it hard to even whisper. Without even waiting for a verbal response, Lor took a deep breath and plunged her head into the water, her off-white hair trailing behind her.

* * *

><p>"It seems to be taking a while…" Thorn noted aloud, returning from wherever he left to. It must have been the castle because he had folded cloth in his arms. One was a soft lavender made of fine silk and embroidered with darker purple leaf-patterns. Another was a cobalt made of the same material but instead seem to have a soft glimmer in the afternoon light.<p>

"_Oui…_" Melody turned her head back around to watch the spring. It had been close to an hour by now since her friend submerged. Several times she grew worried because of the time it took. But each time after that, she felt drops of water on her face and calmed down. Something was telling her Lor was perfectly fine. She assumed it was the water spirit's doing telling her these things, though she's never heard a voice yet.

"Melody, was it?" Thorn asked gently. "From what I've heard from your friend, you two have suffered too much any creature could bear. How did you survive?"

Melody didn't want to speak. It was intimidating to speak about what happened. She had ten years of experience to learn to keep her mouth shut about complaining. Lor came to her side after seven of those years had been served, but it was already too late. Melody had already been beaten to silence. Even after three years of reassurance from her quickly-made friend, it was difficult to speak to anyone other than Lor. How she was able to speak to Princess Neveah on the way to Azurla was something she would never be able to answer with complete confidence. Maybe because the way she spoke had the same tone Lor made. Maybe it was because she was being held a certain way that gave her a sense of peace.

"It's all right." Thorn nodded as he took a seat on the ground next to the brunette. "I understand your wish for silence, and I will respect it. You deserve ever bit of kindness the world has to give. But always remember, you're not-"

He couldn't finish before pouring water echoes through the area. When both hedgehogs looked up, Lor was gasping for air and trying to swim to the shore. She was a good twenty feet away from where she dove, maybe even more.

"Lor!" Melody gasped as she tried to get up. But Thorn push her back down with ease.

"Stay here." He ordered as he handed the cloths. "Shard would never let her drown, but I'll get her if I can." Melody could only watch as the guard dipped a few fingers into the pool's edge. "Please, allow me to retrieve the girl." He mumbled, then a second later ran into the water in his light armor.

* * *

><p>"Lor!" Melody cried again when the two came to the shore. In a second the two were huddled together in each other's arms, ignoring the fact Lor was stripped of her cloths. But the magic was real! Whatever Shard did, Lor was practically vibrating with pure-white fur. There was not a single splotch of stain in any part, nor was there a bruise to be found.<p>

"She will not be able to speak for some time." Thorn heaved as he retrieved the cobalt robe. "It is a temporary price Shard had to take until the water purifies itself from her pain. But give it until tomorrow morning." Gently he wrapped the blue, soft cloth around the shivering, naked girl, who took it greedily and huddled next to her friend. She looked desperate to speak, but only her chattering teeth made a sound from her mouth.

"It is your turn, Melody." Thorn nodded after wiping a few drops of water off his face. Even mute from speaking, Lor stepped away from her friend and tried to smile as sweetly as she could, as if saying '_Go on. It'll be all right._' Thorn wrapped an arm around the newly cleansed hedgehog and walked her back to the seat.

Melody looked at the water right by her bare feet. She dreaded showing herself to such an honorable creature. She imagined a gorgeous being with pure and handsome features. An angel in the water, maybe? She believed angels had the power to heal, and that's exactly what Shard did.

In her day-dreaming, her foot stepped into the water. As expected it was chilling to the bone. Instantly she brought her arms around her gut and slowly pressed on. As she walked deeper and deeper, the cold water lapped at her body. When the water grew so high as to her shoulders, she began to slip a hand to remove her rag. Then she paused. Either way she would be exposed to the angelic creature beneath the water. She had a choice to freely strip down to her bare body now or have him remove it, right? If she were to approach him naked, it would probably feel like she was invading. It felt to her she needed his permission to be exposed.

So without finishing her undressing for the time-being, she took another step forward, feeling the cold sting her back painfully. Upon another step, she had a sudden urge to dunk her head. So sudden, in fact, she couldn't help but follow through.

In one second, her face was consumed with the bitter-sweet cold. Yes, it stung from how cold it was, but the weight from her body faded away immediately. She was floating in the radiant water, and that gave her peace. In her subconscious mind, she could sleep like that forever. Completely weightless, free from all burdens… Even the nightmare that tortured her for all those years never once bothered her for a second.

So this is what freedom feels like…

As she began to doze off, something brushed against her lips. It was soft and inviting, and it only lulled her even deeper to a peaceful sleep. Since she had submerged, her eyes had been closed. As inviting as everything was, she could never open the lids to see what brushed her. But there was no sense of alarm.

'_Welcome, Milady._' A voice gently entered her mind. '_Please, rest a while. Your heart is heavy with grief. Let the water heal you until you can open your eyes._'

The voice was entrancing. So warm and soft… It was like listening to an angel. And as she floated there, now well away from the shore, a guiding arm wrapped itself under her armpit and placed a hand right on her collar-bone. If she had not been drugged by the cold and comfort, she would've at least opened her eyes.

Had she even been breathing?! This sudden thought caught her throat, which sent a ripple through her body to twitch. Her heart began to race as she suddenly became aware someone was pulling her to the bottom of the pool. Something pinched her neck and suddenly she was still again, but her heart kept pounding.

'_Please, do not fear._' The voice returned. '_I know the ordeal you suffered. Your friend fought as well from the beginning. But please, just sleep. I promise on my life nothing will happen to you without your consult while in these waters._'

The pinch in Melody's neck began to fade away, as did all other senses of being touch. In a minute she forgot where she was and fell into a hypnotic dreariness, like being wrapped in a cocoon with that snug feeling. Yet at the same time in contradiction, she felt the freedom to be able to move around. It was difficult to explain, mostly because the numbing cold had pretty much taken over her body. Something briefly stroked her hair, then she was completely lost.

* * *

><p>After who knows how long, Melody's eyes began to flutter open. She had never in her life had such a peaceful respite. What seemed like days was only a few hours. Or, perhaps by judging the light reflected through the surface, she had been asleep for a day and a few hours. Maybe even more so.<p>

And, yes, she had been breathing this whole time. When she looked down at her nose, she saw a brief form of a bubble encasing her mouth. As she returned to her senses, she began to feel the cold once more, but it was gentle with her, as if it were letting her know she was waking up.

'_How long you've suffered, Melody…_' That familiar voice spoke to her. '_Your pain and despair will probably never leave you entirely. Not even the waters I protect can cleanse you from all that hurt._'

'That is all right…' Melody wanted desperately to say. 'I wish I could tell you I finally know what sleep is. I am not worthy to be helped by an angel like you.' There was a brief chuckle.

'_If only I would be an angel and know what it's like to fly through the sky. But if my help has brought you a peaceful respite, I am glad all the same._'

'Monsieur… You can hear my thoughts?' Melody looked around from where she was lying, seeing nothing but the sand and the faded rocks encasing the spring.

'_Yes, as clear as you can hear my own. Look behind you._' Doing as he said, Melody tried to turn her body around without stirring too much of the bed of sand. Meeting her hazel eyes were deep green eyes that shimmered like the water's surface above. That which owned the eyes was a hedgehog with… a double-scythed shark tail from the waist-down. Dark blue shark fins jutted out from the top of his hair, a slightly lighter shade of blue, which neatly fell to the sides of his face. His peach muzzle had two small black markings right below his left eye, and below his chin was, strangely enough, a grey scarf casually floating behind him. He had the same peach color on his torso with a white circular pattern down in the front, and attached to that were arms that started peach, suddenly transitioned to dark blue right after his shoulders , then gradually became green to his hands with a smooth definition. His arms, as well, had a fin each starting at the top and pointing down, aligning the points with his elbows. After the waist, the white and peach torso made a triangular shape pointing down the flesh a little past where his tail started, taken over by the same blue as his hair. The scythe-like designs on his tail had a sudden pale-blue color where the thin skin was, one right after another with the first noticeably larger than the second.

And all that frightened Melody. She gasped after registering all there was to his features and began to swing her arms around, hoping to swim to the surface. The half-shark instantly reacted to her panic and reached his arms around her while continuing his coil with his tail.

'_Please, Melody,_' He begged innocently. '_Do not be afraid. If I wanted to hurt you in any way, I would've done so already. I want your pain to be at ease. Please, listen to me._'

With her eyes tightly closed, the scared girl listened and tried not to fling about. But her arms and legs wanted desperately to fight his grasp. 'I-I can't! I can't calm down!' She pleaded in her head. 'My body won't stop!'

'_I am sorry…_' Shard apologized. In a split second, Melody wanted to scream. There was a terrible pain in her neck that forced her entire self to stiffen. She stopped struggling in every way because the pain was too great.

'What… did you do?'

'_I'm biting your neck._' He explained regretfully. '_Though I'm not penetrating your skin, the nerve there will hurt like a sword. I hate it, but in order to heal you, I need you as calm as possible, even if that means sending a temporary painful jolt._'

'I-I'm scared, _monsieur_. Why did I struggle like that? Why did I fight you?'

'_You're still in great pain, Melody, and it pains my heart I can do nothing about it. There is a hole in your spirit that will probably never be filled again. You're terrified from the torture you've suffered. So seeing me will send you into a panic to get away from pain. But I promise you it is not your doing._' By now the hedgeshark had released Melody's neck, but still held his arms and tail around her. He even rested his head on her shoulder to bring the sense he was comforting her. '_Tell me, do you wish to see your friend again?_'

'Of course!' Melody answered quickly, hesitantly putting her hands up and setting them on the healer's arms.

'_You are very kind to never leave her side. But please, let me do one other thing. The markings on your back… They're still there. But your cloths prevent me from healing them. May I…_' He was reluctantly to ask, but Melody knew what he needed. She nodded and released her gentle grasp so that he could uncoil himself and finish what he started. He took her arm and pulled her back to the bottom to lay her body on the sand once more, this time with her front facing down.

Shard began to slowly tear the rags off with his claws from the back down. This cloth was inferior to the healing. It was stained with much more blood and tears from agony than he'd ever think possible. It would have to go entirely. In moments the stained clothes were open from the girl's neck to her sacrum and her left armpit to her right, opening the back like a cross.

Seeing what was behind, Shard had half the mind to curse every known disease and plague upon her tormentors. Scabs from whips of different assortment ran across her back and nearly covered a black brand a few inches above her tail. '_You have been branded?_' Shard asked in a piteous tone, and only received a quiet yes in return. '_I will remove it, but it may take some time. I also want to return the fur you lost._'

Upon permission, Shard pressed a finger on a patch of disturbed skin. After a sudden splurge of pain which made Melody flinch, a numbing cold replaced it. '_After a few more finger prints,_' He explained as he moved to another spot. '_I'm hoping you'll be numb enough to handle a few more fingers._'

His comforting reassurance gave the brunette the strength to stay her ground as his finger moved across. Each print left the same mark; pain replaced with an itchy chill. But as time progressed, she noticed earlier places he touched were free from cold. Maybe because she was too distracted with the palm-sized pain creeping down her wounds.

'Monsieur?' Melody asked finally. 'Why are you so cold?'

'_A dear friend of mine from long ago taught me something._' Shard began, glad she was growing distracted. '_It was a long time ago, but my friend taught me how the cold had so many properties beside pain. It has a certain healing property the body uses to numb pain and slow down. It gives it time to relax and think what needs more attention in order to heal faster. Does that make sense?_'

'Oui. Please tell me, who was your friend? They seem like a nice person.'

'_His name is Shard, much like mine. Shardenyek, to be precise. Much like you, he was heavy in his heart because he had lost the will to live by the time I met him. His Majesty never had the chance to meet Shard, but after what I told him he agreed to what I had to ask. You see, we were in a battle some time ago, three years to be exact. He had been heavily wounded and was brought to this very place._

'_But there is a certain draw-back to his power over ice._' The hedgeshark continued sadly.'_Anything he touched had a habit of freezing to the core. If he had so much as touched this spring, this place would still be frozen to the bottom._'

'Is he all right now? How did you heal him?'

'_I… Well, he's not dead, per say. He's still alive even as we speak. But his heart… His heart froze. He froze it in order to buy me time to find some way to help him recover. But he said there was a risk. He may never be able to wake again from his slumber, never quite dead, and never quite alive._'

'I'm so sorry, _monsieur_.' Melody apologized sympathetically. 'He must really cherish your friendship to rely on you to save him.'

'_Yes… He does…_' Shard pulled back from the girl, now finished with hi task. '_But that is something I'm still working for. As for now, you need to return to the surface to your dear friend._'

Melody slowly pushed-off to an up-right posture and looked at her healer. '_Merci, monsieur._' She smiled, forgetting her body was completely exposed.

'_Apologies, again._' Shard smiled back, taking her arms into his hands. '_I'm pretty sure you know you will not be able to speak for some time. As long as you've been here, I say this will stay with you until sunrise has passed._'

'Can I ever thank you enough for your kindness? Anything, _s'il vous plaît_.'

In her surprise, Shard kissed her forehead with a long pause upon contact. '_You're so sweet, Melody._' He chuckled in her head. '_How about this? Whenever you wish to, visit me. I enjoy your company and your visit will tell me you feel the same. All right?_'

'I promise!' Melody nodded happily.

* * *

><p>"There you are!" Thorn exclaimed once Melody was above the surface in his arms. "I was growing concerned after how long you've been in there!"<p>

Melody chattered her teeth rapidly. The cold she felt when she first entered the pool was nothing compared to how she felt exiting. She could be warmed by a block of ice as far as she could tell.

Lor was quick to wrap her in the soft, silk cloth. She was drenched, but somehow the water didn't soak into the long, purple robe. Was the water magical even out of the pool? She wouldn't be surprised if so.

Lor wrapped her arms around Melody tightly. They both felt so soft and fresh in each other's embrace. It was one of the most refreshing feelings ever. Lor was absolutely beautiful with her snow-white fur. She looked like she had never touched dirt before as clean as she was.

"All right, all right." Thorn sighed after they had hugged for a while. "Come on, you two. We need to go back to the castle before the sun sets."

As Melody pulled away, she saw the sky was a shade of crimson red and bright orange. She and Lor had been there for several hours since a little after noon. As they walked along the trail (sadly having to leave behind the seat), Thorn explained he had no intention of spending that long but at the same time was not surprised.

Behind his back, Lor and Melody were having a silent laugh-fest with each other about how the other looks. The constantly touch different strands of hair and cheeks to confirm this was all real. At the same time they were constantly in each other's arms. Their guide figured that after a while they weren't going to pay much attention to his words, so he just rolled his eyes and hid a smirk. Girls…

* * *

><p>"The King has agreed to meet your presence tomorrow." Thorn declared as he opened a chamber door inside a large portion of the castle. Inside was what looked to be guest quarters for two. Two large canopy beds with shelves filled with books and soft couches sat along the walls, which were almost covered all around with old art and fabrics displaying nagas with crowns and different creatures wearing armor riding on horses.<p>

"He reasoned he wished to hear your voices the same time he sees your faces." Thorn went on. Melody turned to give him a confused look. "The King?" She nodded, feeling ridiculous forgetting who he was talking about. "In addition, this will also give him time to schedule a meeting for you two since his meetings will be over until next week."

With his final farewells, he closed the doors to leave the two girls alone for privacy. Lor immediately pounced to the books and pulled one out in curiosity, flipping it open to read. Melody, however, slowly walked to a window to gaze at the sunset. In less than a full day, her life had changed completely from a slave-circus clown to a slave to a king. And not just a king, but a naga.

And she never once had to leave her friend's side, save the springs for a short amount of time. She got them both out, something she doubted she'd ever do. But what did Shard mean she'd always have pain in her heart? She never felt better as far as she could remember. She was definitely at peace.

A gentle hand wrapped around her shoulder. Melody turned to see Lor smile at her, trying to say '_Everything's gonna be all right because I'm right here._' Melody smiled back and once more went right into her arms. She wanted so badly to thank her for everything she's done for her. But all that came out was a sniffle and breathless gasp. Lor's hand stroked the back of Melody's fresh brown hair, now dry from the water. She had a way of letting her friend know just the right things she needed to know without even speaking.

They truly were sisters. This was probably what Princess Neveah was talking about earlier that day; it is not blood that make a family, but acceptance and love. Where would one be without the other? Neither one wanted to dwell on that frightening thought.

* * *

><p><strong>Hey guys! Chapter 2 is up and running! Yay! *throws confetti*<strong>

**Sorry this chapter is SOOO long! I was trying to keep it the same length as the previous one, but because I formatted the story to include a front cover I counted 9 pages instead of 8, which in turn basically doubled it. And I didn't realize it until the last sentence was made.**

**But I think it came out great! w What do you guys think? Yes, it's a bit buttered-up on the graphic, but I'm trying my best to keep it dark-romantic like (I think that's the right term...). Want it less buttered-up? More? Shorter? Just right? I highly doubt you'd want it longer, but if you do let me know in reviews or PMs. ^-^**

**ALSO! Any grammar errors, LET ME KNOW! MICROSOFT WORD CAN'T PICK-UP EVERYTHING! Ha ha!**

* * *

><p><span><strong>UPDATE!<strong>** Kelly's name has been changed to Neveah. This would also be a good time to give the copywrite.**

**What is mine:****  
>Melody Hedgehog<br>The Story  
>Arlax<br>Shard Hedgeshark  
><strong>

**A dear friend/sister of mine known as Scuffy:****  
>Lor Hedgehog<strong>

**A dear friend/sister of mine known as FrozenDarkness on deviantArt:****  
>Neveah<br>Thorn  
>Shardenyek<strong>


	3. Chapter 3- My Gracious King

**Chapter three:**_ My Gracious King_

"Boo! Boo!" The crowd screamed and hissed at her. "Boo, you suck, you ugly sack of dung!"

"Get off the stage!"

"Worthless piece of hide! Get out'a here!"

Melody couldn't close her eyes. With the violin set below her chin and hand gliding in front of her, she played the violin she was forced to perform with. But as soon as she began the crowd grew violent and relentless with the same comments.

Suddenly she was in chains with white paint plastered on her face and a blue wig on her head with a red cushion over her nose. She watched as tomato after tomato hit her slung-over body. She hid her face with the shadow from her bangs as she took each projectile without flinching, nasty comments that disgraced her for ten years echoing in her ears.

"Hey, Ugly! Get out!"

"Don't touch her! You'll get infected just like her _face_!"

"I'd _hate_ to be the parent of that _disgusting _creature!"

"I'm sorry…" The scarred girl whimpered repeatedly. "I'm sorry… I'm sorry…"

"Daddy! Mommy! No!" She heard herself cry. Suddenly the wall she was chained to turned into a projection of herself being carried off by a brute working for the circus. The shadowy silhouettes in the distance did nothing as she was carried off to slavery. "I'm sorry! I'll do better! I promise! Don't let me leave! Help me!"

* * *

><p>"Hey, Melody." Melody's ears flickered slightly to that sweet sound. How she longed every night to hear that in the morning. "Mel, wake up. C'mon, it looks like you're having another nightmare."<p>

Noiselessly the brunette stirred and reached out her arms. The covers were fluffy and warm. No way she wanted to get out. But her friend asked her to do something. She had to comply, as much as she wanted to say otherwise.

With great effort, Melody sat up and smacked her mouth a few times. She must've looked horrible because the girl at the edge of her bed giggled.

"Too bad Shard couldn't get rid of bed-hair." She laughed. Now with her fur cleaned completely, the morning sun was dimly glowing on her. She looked absolutely gorgeous, like her heart was when they were _there_, the circus.

"…" Melody opened her mouth to speak, but a silent breath of air swept out.

"Hm?" Lor looked concerned as she came closer to Melody's face to inspect. "Is Shard's price still in effect for you?" Melody could only nod and shrug. Then she looked frightened.

She had slept in her purple silk robes! Oh no, was that all right? Was it all right with Princess Neveah to sleep in their robes? Was she supposed to undress and slip into something else? Was she supposed to sleep with only the covers? Oh no, what if she's not allowed to sleep in the bed anymore? What if she ruined the robe so much, she had to work as a slave to repay the cloth material? Who was she kidding? She's still a slave! Of course she's going to do slave work.

She stopped and held her breath. What if she had to perform in front of a crowd? Even worst, with a violin?

"Melody!" The hedgehog was so caught-up with worry, she was almost completely oblivious to Lor shaking her body roughly. "Melody, calm down! Right now! You're safe right here, I swear on my life!"

'_I'm sorry!_' Melody wanted to apologize, but she could only mouth it. It hurt she could speak her mind, but Lor hugged her as if she did speak.

"Just stop worrying, okay?" She shushed, stroking her brown hair. "We're going to be fine. Thorn told me everything Arlax has done, and he's as good as they come. From monthly visits to orphanages to attending ceremonies celebrated by the villagers, he's the kindest of them all. We may even be able to see Neveah again when we present ourselves. Do you hear me?"

Melody nodded as a tear rolled down her cheek. Being raised in that hellish environment really took a toll on her self-confidence. Was that what Shard meant when he said she was hurt beyond recovery? For some reason it felt like there was more to that than just confidence.

"Here, this may calm you down." Lor happily let go to retrieve a book from her own canopy bed, then quickly returned to Melody's side. "I was reading it last night while you were asleep. I didn't read the whole thing, but I think you might find the beginning interesting."

She handed the slightly-old, red, leather-bound book to reluctant hands. "Go on," She urged. "Read it. It's about three friends who go off on a journey to take back-"

Melody tried to mouth something with a pained look in her eyes. Lor stopped what she was saying to have her repeat. '_I can't read_' was what she got.

"Wh… What do you mean you can't read, Mel?" Lor sounded utterly shocked at this new information. Of course she never had that knowledge because slaves were never given things to read, let alone books. "Are you saying you can't read _English_? Or you just can't… read at all?"

The illiterate brunette hid her face behind her hands and looked to sob into them. She couldn't even make a decent-sounding cough with her voice taken. Lor could do nothing except hold her like she always had. "I'm sorry, Mel. I never knew that. Trust me I _never_ would've asked if I knew anything about it."

But it was true. That was a big reason why Melody's parents gave her up so easily. Melody could not comprehend written words, French or English. Why it was so difficult even she can't explain. The written words were just too hard to look at and comprehend. She was labeled as 'idiotic' because of that. And there was nothing she could say or do to disprove that. She was an idiot.

An ugly idiot.

* * *

><p>"You two wait here while I retrieve the King." Thorn told the two hedgehogs before he slipped through a heavy wooden door to, presumably, the throne room. As soon as it was clearly safe to speak, Lor went up to Melody and clasped her shoulders.<p>

"Melody," She whispered urgently. "It's past sunrise. Can you _please_ try and speak?"

'_I'm trying! I'm trying!_' Melody mouthed, still free from audio. '_But I can't speak! I'm sorry!_'

"Mel, I can't understand you." Lor let go and took a few steps away to think of something. "…All right, I think I got it." She came back with a desperate look across her face. "We'll ask Thorn to be a translator! Someone _has_ to be there to read your lips!"

Before anything else could be thought of, Thorn returned. "Lor, you are wished for first. Melody, I have to ask you to wait here alone."

"S-sir!" Lor approached the dark guardsman as Melody nodded her head. "Sir, please! We need you-"

"Not right now, Lor." Thorn mumbled, gently wrapping an arm around her and taking through the wooden door, closing it behind him.

So Melody stood there completely alone. The walls and door were made of fine material made by most likely the best carpenters in the world because not only did they look extremely pleasant to admire, they were also sound-proof. Try as she may, she couldn't hear a single word from the other side.

And that only made her even more nervous.

* * *

><p>Quite some time passed by for the brown hedgehog. She ended up sitting in a cushioned seat just a few steps away and traced the purple-embroidery on her silk robe. Was it all right for her to keep this dress on for this long? It was very gorgeous, as she had never in her life seen such fine details on such light clothing. It made her feel… safe? Was that even possible for a piece of clothing? It's hard to explain, but the soft colors of purple along with how gentle and free-flowing the fabric imitated the wind giving her a soft hug wherever she went.<p>

Then her finger traced upward from the bottom to the waist, where a light purple- almost pink- ribbon was tied. That's what probably helped with the feeling of a hug. Thorn had to help her tie the ribbon on, and it was elegant how he was able to make the ends loop several times and knot them all in the middle. It imitated a flower almost perfectly. "It's to look presentable in front of his majesty." He always said when Melody tried to ask why with her muted voice.

So far, everyone she's met since coming here had been kind. More than that, in fact! They were like an army of angels sent from heaven to help her and Lor escape the nightmares. She even believed Lor was an angel herself, as kind and strong she was. Had it not been for her…

"Melody?" A young girl's voice asked, interrupting the brunette's thoughts. She looked up to see another brunette hedgehog peek her head through the doors. Her hair was a shade lighter and a plump braid fell from the back of her head over her shoulder and down to the middle of her chest. She looked quite younger than Melody and she sounded very gentle.

"My brother, King Arlax, wishes to see you now." She explained softly, returning to the chamber. All right, so they were ready for her (which made her heart race). But what on Earth happened to Lor? She never came back, nor did she hear from anyone else where she went. Maybe she was still inside! Thorn is probably standing with her, too! Maybe they explained she still couldn't speak and she would be able to just nod her head and have Lor speak for her! That thought gave her just enough courage to slip off the seat and walk through the doors a few seconds after the hedgehog.

Upon walking inside the throne room, she was hit with the utter beauty of everything. Tapestries of different mythical creatures hung from the top of the walls, portraits of nagas hung right next to them, small tables with vases and different assortment of flowers sat at each corner of the room, a red carpet gave her feet a tiny tickle from how soft it was, everything was just like how she pictured a castle to be.

But there was one thing that made her hesitate and think twice to turn back. Ahead of her was a raised bed that probably went up to her neck, and on top of that were velvet cushions making even hills all the way across. One naga sat- or rather _laid_- across the surface of the plushy, red mattress with one arm resting on a pile of pillows and the other in front of his canine head with his hand twirling a purple flower between his fingers. His gaze was set on that piece of flora while his long, snake tail patterned with blue and red coiled lazily in front of him. He wore nothing more than light robes that piled itself underneath him.

Brunettes must be very common because he had fresh, dark brown hair that flowed down his head and curve up and the end in the back. He wore no crown, but it was very clear who this naga was by the way he radiated confidence and power.

"Welcome, my dear child." He said smoothly without looking away from the petals. "As you are already aware, my name is Arlax of Azurla-Ratalia. I've heard you had some… horrible situations before yesterday? Even a bit of yesterday morning, is that correct?"

'_Yes, my King._' Melody wanted to say, but the vocals in her throat refused to cooperate.

"Come here, Melody." He said softly, patting to a spot on the bed next to him. Seeing he knew her name startled her, but quickly excused it that Lor told him, or maybe it was Princess Neveah, or even Thorn.

"Do not be shy, dear one. I only wish to speak with you." He encouraged as he finally took his gaze off the violet. When she still did not take a step forward, Arlax's tail slipped down the edge of the large seat and glided to her feet. Then, without touching her, it stretched as high as it could go and gently pulled her. This required a bit of work because the naga had to stretch as far as he could with his tail just to reach her feet.

'_I'm sorry…_' Melody voicelessly cried into her hands covering her face full of shame as she carefully walked forward.

"Do not feel ashamed, Milady." Arlax hummed with a soft smile growing on his face. "You have every right to be reluctant. And I know you cannot speak. I do not blame Shard because he is only the channel connecting the spring's magic and whosoever needs its healing properties. I assure you you can never be at fault for whatever price you have to pay, nor is he to blame. What we can only do is enjoy the time we have that our ancestors couldn't."

The way he spoke was like listening to a Wiseman telling the moral of a story. He was so intrigued with his own words he just dragged on the meaning behind it without even knowing it. It was like a story in itself. There was a fatherly comfort in that humming of his. And for a brief moment, Melody forgot she was a servant and believed she was a child again.

But she quickly regained herself and scolded in her head that she ought to know her place, especially now since she was crawling across the cotton-filled bed as Arlax's tail continued to draw her closer.

"There we go." He chuckled when the hedgehog was just a mere few feet away from his relaxed chest. "Are you sure you cannot speak? Or are you just nervous?"

Melody tried to speak, but only a breath of silent air came out. Her face drooped down in shame and her eyes threatened to release another tear drop.

"Now, now. Don't be so hard on yourself." The naga king encouraged, moving his torso over to better face her. "Even if you could and you just chose not to, I will never force you to do something you don't want to do."

Melody looked up from her teary eyes. '_But… I'm a slave…_'

"I cannot read lips, Melody," Arlax sighed, resting his head in his arms as he watched his subject. "But I assume you're brain-washed to think you're considered a slave. As a title, you will have to carry it like that. But as to uphold it, you are no less than an equal citizen of this kingdom. In fact, you have special privileges because you are under my name. And I promise…" With his long-fingered hand, he gently cupped the tiny palms hovering below her face. "So long as I smile, I will do everything in my power to make you smile, because _everyone_ deserves equal happiness life has to offer."

Melody tried to nod her head and thank him, but the King had beat her in action by gliding forward on his stomach to her left and wrapping his already-larger body around her. "I will not rest easily until I know what your smile looks like, your _true_ smile. Let that be my only request as your King."

The hedgehog was lost for words. Here she was being embraced in King Arlax's arms without even saying a word. She felt more pathetic than honored. She was no equal in any sort! She was his slave, so it would be only a matter of time before she was put to work.

But even then, he gave a warm feeling from his heart. If it was work he gave, then Melody would do it with no complaint. She would thank the heavens above for his kindness every day and would work even harder until her fingers bled. Every tile of the castle would be polished until every corner had a glow, and every piece of fabric would be pressed and pre-readied for occasions, and every furniture would be dusted until a whole new layer shimmered, and every plant was free from rotting leaves, and-

"Do you play an instrument?" Arlax suddenly asked. Her thoughts of work climaxed to a sudden vision of the crowd chucking rotten fruit at her. She gasped and struggled in his grasp to hide her face. Seeing how forcefully she fought, Arlax released and backed away slightly. The girl cowered and curled her body in, covering her head like a frightened child in an earthquake.

"I'm sorry!" She croaked, extremely raspy and sick-sounding like a frog. It was the first time she had spoken since yesterday, yet she had not fully recovered. "I'm sorry! I'll do better!"

"Melody, that's enough!" Arlax hushed. But the hedgehog was oblivious to his orders because she kept croaking apologies. He had no choice but to wrap around her again. "Melody!" He said firmly to her reluctant face. With one hand he took Melody's wrists and brought them away from her head. With his tail he circled around her robe to straighten and hold her steady.

"Melody, look at me." He ordered. In the midst of her nightmare, Melody shot her eyes open to look at him, unable to move from his grasp. "Look at me." He repeated, loosening his tone. The girl lightened her breathing from a noisy pant to a sniffle. She gazed directly into his dark brown eyes without much choice in the manner. "That's right." He said softly as he loosened his grip on her wrists and moved his other hand from her waist to her cheek. "Forget whatever troubles you. You are here with me and me alone. No one else will so much as wag a finger at you so long as you're here. You are loved and will never be told otherwise, do you understand?"

Hypnotized by his words and gaze, Melody managed to barely nod her head. "Excellent…" He whispered before slowly letting her go completely. She slunk down once more and hung her head after he blinked and ruined the spell.

"I-I… I'm so sorry…" Melody whispered hoarsely with a noisy squeak.

"Melody." Arlax drew close to her compassionately. "Wrap your arms around my neck." Slowly she did so, and in return he wrapped his own limbs around her waist. Given by size, the girl would never be able to hold her own against even his upper-half alone. "Do you feel that? That pain in your heart?" She nodded as tears fell down her face. "That is the child in you that cries out to stop the pain. Like a toddler, she doesn't know what to do other than cry. She doesn't know how to make it stop, and she certainly doesn't know what will make everything better. Let that child sleep in the arms of another who can carry you. Let her know there is nothing to cry about any more because the one you're holding onto will be a shield so long as it stands."

Relentlessly the tears came flooding down her eyes. How easily he calmed her down… Even Lor had received a few whacks to the face the first time she tried to stop her in her nightmarish tortures. The only factors she could possibly fathom were that he was already gentle with her and she had not been abused in over twelve hours. In fact she had been healed physically by Shard's pool, and she's never felt lighter and safer in all her memory span. It was all thanks to Arlax and Neveah. Had it not been for either of them, this hedgehog would probably be whipped again by now with her friend screaming threats in the back.

* * *

><p>"Does it hurt?" The naga boy asked as he dipped an inked needle-sharp pen on Melody's shoulder.<p>

"A little…" Melody flinched. In reality, it hurt a lot. But it wasn't near as bad as the hook-ended whips the guardsmen sometimes used. The ones that really tore into the flesh and sprayed so much blood you could see the mess on the dirt when it's over… _if_ it's over.

"Just a little more…" Arlax stuck his tongue out as he tried to apply the last bit of detail to the black tattoo forming on Melody's skin. Then before long he denounced, "Finished!" And set the tools aside on a table for servants to collect later. At the same time, he grabbed two hand mirrors and held one to reflect off her back, the other was given to the newly-branded hedgehog. "How does it look?"

"_Magnifique…_" Were the first words she could utter. Now with her voice coming back, she could speak softly without croaking. The way a snake bordered a shield with wings spreading out on either side gave her a sense of pride such a beautiful mark was inscribed on her left shoulder. "Could I ever thank you enough, _mon roi_?"

"_Oui_." Arlax chuckled. "If you teach me French, I may consider our bargain equal." The French brunette couldn't help but laugh along. Because she had been so difficult to just accept all he wished to offer, he had to find a way to work around her without setting her off. So a bargaining system was made, though he was against it for the beginning.

But whatever made his subjects happy made him happy.

"_Mon roi?_" Melody asked. "Who was that girl?"

"What girl?" Arlax asked, somehow finding a way to sneak a massage on Melody's right side.

"The girl at the door when I walk in."

"Oh, I believe you mean Scuffy." Arlax gave a hum as he exhaled through his nose and relaxed to lie on his side once more. "She is one of my sisters Neveah told you about. She's a bit shy, but she has a good heart. She was here when your friend, Lor, presented herself. She most likely took a liking to her after the stories Neveah told. I, however, asked to be alone with you after what Lor explained. Both girls and Thorn left through that way-" He pointed to a set of drapes leading to another room. They weren't too far from the door where Melody entered, so it wasn't a surprise how fast Scuffy disappeared.

"But never mind that." Arlax went on with a taunting smile. "It is still before noon, Milady. We have enough time to explore the castle and still arrive at the dining hall when they serve lunch. What say you?"

"I would very much love that, _mon roi__._" She smiled sweetly.

"Then let us be away." The King sighed after a good stretch, then slowly slithered off the mattress with Melody close behind. "Ah, if I had stayed on that thing for a moment longer I fear I would've gotten sleepy. And if there's one thing a King enjoys above all else, it's sleeping."

"O-oh…" Melody trailed behind, trying her best to keep up. A mix of surprise and pain lingered in her sound.

"I was just kidding." Arlax laughed with a roll of his eyes. "First thing I need to teach you is to not take me so seriously and learn to laugh."

* * *

><p><strong>Hey-yo guys! ^-^ Chapter three!... At 10:35... on a school night. =w=" Okay, so I've been working on this chapter ALL day! ^) Love it! Or I'll cry!**

**Is Arlax developing feelings for Melody? ewe Does it look two-sided, or a one-way street? That, my firend, is for you to decide and discover later. As for reviews 'n stuff, go ahead and write! w I love getting responces for my work! Whether it's suggestions how to make a certain chapter better or ideas what could happen later on. Who knows, I might be in a secret writer's block and you just happen to save the day. wo And let's not forget... CATCH THE IMPROPER GRAMMAR!**

* * *

><p><span><strong>UPDATE!<strong>** Kelly's name has been changed to Neveah. This would also be a good time to give the copywrite.**

**What is mine:****  
>Melody Hedgehog<br>The Story  
>Arlax "Ratallia"<br>**

**A dear friend/sister of mine known as Scuffy:****  
>Lor Hedgehog<br>Scuffy "Rattalia"  
><strong>

**A dear friend/sister of mine known as FrozenDarkness on deviantArt:****  
>Neveah "Rattalia"<br>Thorn**


	4. Chapter 4- Too Much to Handle

**Chapter four:**_ Too Much to Handle_

The tour the Naga King gave Melody lasted for several hours. He had introduced the ballroom, the library, the royal garden, and several other rooms Melody couldn't remember. She forgot how big the castle was and quickly felt over-whelmed by the number of corridors and hallways they passed through alone.

"Right there is our secondary library." Arlax pointed over to the side as the two approached the bottom of a flight of stairs. "And just ahead of that is our personal dining quarters. They are connected inside by a door, and from the dining quarters is the hallway that runs along the edge of this sector of the castle and leads to our guest rooms-" He stopped once his brown eyes fell on the hedgehog looking nervous and uneasy.

"Uh…" She barely let out; unaware of the pause in his speech as she tried looking where she thought he pointed to… what room was it? Guest quarters?

"Oh, my bad." Arlax chuckled, slipping the sleeves of his elegant robe across his arms. "I enjoy showing my home to others so much, I often get carried away. You've never been to another castle, have you?" His question was confirmed when the girl slowly shook her head. "It is all right, Milady. Even my sisters who live here get lost a few times every month. I make it my business to explore and map every hallway this place has to offer. I am, after all, king of my own home." He gave another chuckle, as if his title was nothing more than a small joke to carelessly mention.

They had passed several more corridors, with Arlax silent from mentioning other rooms. Finally the unsteady silence between the two was too great for the Wolf-Naga Hybrid to handle. "Is this too much?" He asked sincerely. "If it makes you uncomfortable-"

"_A-anon, mon roi!_" Melody shook her head, still a bit off with her recently-retrieved voice. "I-I just… I-It's just like a dream-come-true! I _never_ believed I could even walk in a castle so freely. I-I just don't think- I mean I might get lost so easily."

"Which is why I must ask you to stay close to Diamante." Arlax advised, smiling with relief that he had not made his new friend stressed in any other way.

"Who's Diamante?"

"Diamante is my advisor." Arlax explained, casually stretching his arms out. "Whenever I wish to explore my castle, he's there to make sure I do not perish alone, as reassuring as that sounds." He gave a small 'ha'. "But those are the exact words he put it as. And since he knows the castle as well as I do, he will be your guide and escort for a few days. Is that all right with you?"

Before Melody could even nod her head, there was a faint clamor of footsteps and _thunks_, and what followed was a fearful cry of desperation.

"Oh no." Arlax moaned into his palm. "Not again…" Between his groan and startling sounds, Melody went into a panic. In fact, her heart raced even faster when she noticed the sounds grew louder and clearer.

"Someone! Help me!" A male voice cried out forcefully, most likely from panting.

"Stop right there, Lusol!" An enraged female voice followed, quickly answered to another _thunk_.

"Melody." Arlax said seriously. "Take two steps to your left." The brunette did so in the midst of her confusion. Right then an arrow whizzed right by her head, causing her to jump and trip on her robe to the ground.

"HEEELP! SHE'S GONE MAD!"

"OH I'M MAD, ALL RIGHT!"

"Hold it right there, you two." Arlax demanded. When Melody was able to look up from her spot, she saw a white hedgehog with black contrasting features and strange quills struggling in the Naga's grip from the tail. Just in front of the two was a cyan cat with a small pony tail and a bow and arrow drawn out; both wearing matted cloth with an arm-guard and armored grieves.

"Oh, master!" The hedgehog said innocently to the King. "Thank goodness you've come to save me from Luxi! She's trying to kill me again!"

"Trust me, Lusol," The cat, Luxi, huffed angrily. "If I wanted you dead you'd be there already."

"What happened?" Arlax growled, mostly looking to Lusol.

"Wha- Why do you blame me all of a sudden? _I'm_ the one that could've died!"

"For good reasons, I'm sure."

"I caught him wandering around the girls' wing." Luxi growled. "This little pervert was trying to catch me ill-dressed for his own idiotic reasons!"

"Is this true?" Arlax narrowed his gaze on the squirming hedgehog.

"N-No!" Lusol tried to free himself from the scaled end wrapped about his body. "I-I mean, yes I was there! But Thorn said he wanted to meet me there because Luxi had something important to say!"

"Liar!" Luxi's hands twitched to ready another arrow. That was probably the source of the _thunks_.

"Lusol." Arlax lowered his voice as he slithered to the window. "What time is it?"

"Twenty minutes until lunch, your majesty." Lusol answered, dramatically threatening to go into an exaggerated sob.

"I have a job for you. Both of you." He turned his head to face Luxi. "As you are aware, we have a new addition to the castle. Two, in fact. One of which is sitting right there." He motioned his head to the confused and frightened girl still collapsed on the ground.

"Who-?" Luxi looked over then immediately the cat dropped her weapons and rushed over to help her stand as soon as their eyes met. "Oh no! I'm so sorry, you poor thing! Thank the gods you're not hurt! You're not hurt, are you?"

Melody shook her head with a soundless, open jaw before she found herself wrapped in Luxi's arms, the one guard really pressing into her body.

"Hello!" The hedgehog happily sang from where he was, since it was just about the only thing he could do in his state. His sudden shift from exaggerated fear to a merry greeting would've spiraled Melody to even further confusion, had she not been so distracted with Luxi's tight (and rather life-threatening) embrace.

"I was so stupid! I could've hit you or Arlax!" Luxi gasped and separated herself from Melody, practically tossing her aside like a ragdoll (She didn't know whether to be thankful nothing was pressing into her back anymore or hurt she was easily pushed away). "What if I did? Right through your guy's hearts? I would've killed you two! Then I'd be executed for murder! And before that tortured because I killed the King! And it would be painful! I'll be pulled at the wheel, branded by red-hot iron, choked by a spiked collar, lemon would be poured over my eyes and open wounds-"

"Oh brother…" Lusol and Arlax sighed in unison as Luxi grew darker and darker in her gory description.

"- And tossed around into a cage, and whipped by a thousand ropes, and dunked head-first into ice-cold water, and thrown tomatoes at in the stocks, and forced to hear people laughing at me, and have to balance on a ball like a clown, and forced to eat nothing but dirt, and-"

"Luxi! Enough!" Arlax shouted with a voice so strong and sudden the cat nearly had a heart-attack as she was frightened to silence.

That's when she heard soft sobbing coming from behind her. She followed Arlax's gaze set somewhere right behind her and saw Melody sprawled face-down on the ground covering her head and sobbing into the floor.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Melody barely croaked, what with the carpet muffling her already-off voice.

"Oh Gods…" Lusol whispered with eyes wide-open. "She's been tortured, hasn't she?"

"Not even Shard's pool could remove all her pain." Arlax explained sadly upon releasing Lusol and gliding to Melody, where he scooped the girl up with his arms and held her in a tender hug.

"How long had she been in the water?" Luxi asked worriedly as she approached the two. "They reported newly rescued going to the spring yesterday but she's barely even letting out a whisper."

"Thorn reported two and a half hours."

"That's impossible." Lusol said softly. "Battle wounds take only an hour, and that includes the traumatic disorder that follows."

"There are some battles no warrior deserves to fight…" Arlax explained sadly as he rocked side-to-side. "Like how there are some things life should never bring upon a child."

* * *

><p>"Here you go." Luxi said gently as she handed a silver cup with water to Melody, who had fallen victim to hiccups.<p>

"_Merci_…" Melody whispered as she took a gulp, spazzing her diaphragm slightly while doing so. King Arlax was able to calm her down a while ago, but he couldn't stay by their side. The reason he asked for the time earlier was because he had a short meeting with his sister Neveah at noon and he couldn't be late. He had instructed Luxi and Lusol to take Melody to the Grand Hall where Thorn would be waiting.

"Hey," Lusol softly called for her attention. "Is everything all right? What did they do to you?" Melody only shook her head and rubbed an eye.

"Forget it." Luxi waved it off, trying to show a compassionate smile. "You don't have to tell us anything, and I don't want you going back to whatever it was."

Now that Melody could get a good look at their clothing, she saw an emblem over where each of their hearts would be. In addition to a traditional shield-layout with colors and shape, they each had a different animal posing directly in the middle of it all, as if it was a symbolic name-tag. On Luxi's, it was a tiger curving from the side to the bottom looking as though it were ready to strike. Lusol had a white horse with a horn coming out of its forehead and standing on its hind-legs with its fronts closed to its own body, as if it were prancing.

"You like it?" Luxi asked as she looked down to admire her badge. Melody realized she must've been starring at it so she glanced away and nodded. "Arlax had these made for us a few years back."

"Well, that is for her." Lusol smirked as he wiped his own emblem. "I've had mine long before she even thought she'd be in a castle serving as Rattalia's head archer. Before she even knew what a bow was, I bet."

"That's a lie. Arlax hasn't been King for that long, and you know it."

"Goes to show how new to the bow you really are."

"Oooh!" Luxi laughed as she stood up and got in Lusol's face. "You better watch it, pony-boy, or I might just get a little hungry."

"Go find a ball of yarn, Kitty." Lusol returned, meeting his challenger directly. Luxi was just about to say something else when Melody choked and spat out her water.

"Shoot!" Luxi gasped and rushed to Melody's aid. "Sorry! Sorry! Calm down, you're not drowning! Just breath, that's it. In… Out… All right." Melody was able to calm her coughing a lot faster with Luxi's instructions. After Lusol's comment she had the misfortune to swallow, laugh, and hiccup at the same time.

"Dumb hiccups." Lusol laughed, picking up the spilt cup from the floor. "Always catch you by surprise, don't they?"

"S-Sorry!" Melody gasped, still coughing a bit. Luxi patting her back made her feel better. Once she calmed down almost entirely she looked down to see the front of her robe soaking wet. He heart and stomach went cold and seem to sink deeper in her body. "Oh no! I-I'm so sorry! I ruined it!"

"Calm down." Luxi ordered gently. "It's just water. It'll dry off in the sun."

"Not that fabric." Lusol countered. "That stuff's ruined for good."

"Can you at least _try_ and help?"

"Sure, here's a suggestion: Have her change cloths. We're close to your room anyways."

"Brilliant!" Luxi took Melody's arm and lead her down the corridor.

* * *

><p>"Try these." Luxi handed Melody a small stack of ivory-green cloths behind a divider. It was Melody's wish to change in privacy, even without her saying anything. Luxi could just tell. She already assured there was no need to worry about Lusol because- although a pervert- he wasn't a monster. He already knew Melody had been through enough as it was.<p>

"How do they fit?" The cat asked excitedly.

"Umm… I-uh… I didn't change yet…" Melody said hesitantly as she tried to undo her ribbon. As beautiful as it was, it was nearly impossible to handle the delicate fabric without thinking she'd tear it.

"Oops, sorry!" Luxi laughed as she leaned her body against the panel separating the two. "Getting a little ahead of myself." She then gave a sigh and her tone softened drastically. "Just like always, I guess."

"How?..."

"Well, take today for example. Its true Lusol was poking his nose around the girls' wing, and I caught him in on the act. I asked him what the hell he was doing…" She gave a soft snort. "Except I probably sounded like I was ready to gut him. A bit much, you could say. But I mean- he's done it before, so I should be used to it, right?"

Whether Melody gave a response or not, Luxi pressed on, now a bit rougher with her speech. "Then he said Thorn told him to be there and… I don't know. I guess I lost it. It was really stupid of me."

"Why is that?" Melody asked, filled with concern.

"Well, you see, Thorn and Lusol have been friends for gosh knows how long. So it's only normal Lusol would constantly be with him or talk about him or write letters to him- You get it. And then I come along and he and I hit off really well. He's super nice, really funny, extremely loyal to his heart, and… Well I kind of like him. I think he knows it, too, because he' always saying how the 'ladies love him' and claims he and Thorn kissed.

"I don't care, really, about them kissing." Luxi continued, sliding to the ground smoothly. "I mean, he's always doing that- saying how he's kissed others. But lately he's been going non-stop about Thorn. It's always '_Thorn-this_' and '_Thorn-that_'. Sometimes…" She brought her knees close and rested her head on the caps. "Sometimes I wonder if he ever talks about me. I know it's selfish of me and I really shouldn't be. He's his own person and I'm just trying to force him to like me. It's not fair for him if I'm the greedy one." A tear slipped out of her eye and landed on her pants. "I don't even know why I'm acting this way. It just… It hurts. And it's really hard to talk to people in the castle. Everyone knows everyone too well and secrets are always flying. That or they just talk to you because they have orders to. It's hard to let things out to the right people."

All this time, Melody had only been able to loosen her purple robe. The whole top-half of her body was no longer covered, save by her arms, and the fabric lay still around her lap. She stopped taking it off when Luxi clearly sounded despaired. She wanted to hear every bit of detail so that she could comfort her, a kind of return from what Lor's done for her.

"So it was all just corked-up." Luxi continued, now trying to keep her nose from letting snot drip. "I really should have talked to him about it. How pathetic am I crying about him and not even telling him? It's just… Ah, it's so difficult to talk to someone you like and I don't know why!" She gripped the hair on the top of her head and rubbed it all around frantically. "I mean, I can't say that because we talk every day! It's just so hard to say anything about how I feel and… and…" Words ceased from her mouth as a quiet sob took over.

'_Is this what it feels like?_' Melody questioned herself with a frown reaching across her muzzle. '_What Lor felt when I cried to her? Did she feel this bad because she couldn't do anything?_'

Luxi eventually quieted down to a sniffle, but nothing much else was said other than the occasional, "Are you done yet? No? Okay. Take your time…" It was an uncomfortable feeling pressing down on them, and it made the whole situation awkward.

"I wish I could say something…" Melody whispered sadly.

"Huh? You done?"

"_A-Anon_… Not yet…"

* * *

><p>"What took you two so long?" Lusol complained as Luxi and Melody walked out.<p>

"Sorry." Luxi grinned awkwardly as she scratched her cheek. "Some of the dresses wouldn't fit."

"What, are you saying you're fat?" Lusol smirked.

"Maybe." The cat let out a short laugh, which caught the boy off-guard. "But enough about me. Look at how it fits her."

Melody had an ivory green gown on with short, darker-green frills across her waist and pointing down her neck. The sleeves fit almost perfectly and an adorable golden bow was placed on the side of her hip. The shining green fabric coped with her brunette hair in harmony. She could very well look like a noble woman to a stranger in the village easily.

"She looks absolutely perfect." Lusol smiled warmly. "But what are you going to do about the kimono?"

'_Kimono?_' Melody wondered.

"I have no idea." Luxi shrugged as she looked down at her arms where the purple robe sat. "I would think Neveah would want to save what she can and design another."

"Well, whatever. We need to get this pretty lady in the Grand Hall before Thorn starts throwing a fit about her disappearance."

And a few short turns later, they entered a ginormous marble room surrounded by tapestries similar to the throne room, empty statues of armor, and yet more portraits- but this time with more races glorified other than nagas. Many had a single body standing or sitting by a stone wall with a pleasant meadow in the back. The rest had gatherings with merry faces and… Was one of them Shard? The one she encountered at the springs and healed her. Except he didn't have a fish tale. He had two fully-grown legs shown behind an opening at the bottom of an elegant blue robe. Lusol was there, too! The same uniform he had on now was portrayed in the painting. Arlax and Neveah were in the back with beautiful cloths covering their wolverine bodies, and the majority of their tail was hidden behind the crowd. The only one she couldn't find was Luxi. Was this before Luxi joined, like Lusol hinted earlier?

"Hey, Melody!" Melody snapped back to reality just as Lor appeared out of nowhere and nearly tackled her. "Oh my goodness! You're so beautiful!"

She was compared to her best friend, who was still in her teal dress. But even they knew they had both come a long, long way from two days ago.

"I was beginning to worry about you, Melody." Thorn said calmly as he approached. "But I knew King Arlax was with you, so it was only a matter of time before you showed up." Then his eyes narrowed and looked to Luxi and Lusol. "Although I was expecting the King. Not these two, out of everyone in the castle."

"Love 'ya, too." Lusol rolled his eyes. "And thanks for standing me up today. I almost got an arrow stuck in my eye sockets."

"Darn." Thorn shrugged with a smirk half-covered by his bangs. "It would have made my life so much easier not having to worry about you."

"Can it, you jerk!" Luxi huffed as she gripped Lusol's arm. "That was a disgusting joke."

"So you're siding with the pervert who was there?"

"Shut up! I know you're behind it! Now leave him alone or else I _will_ shoot you in your sleep."

"Heh. I heard that before. I believe this is the fifth time you used that threat?"

"Okay, you two." Lusol waved his arms weakly, sounding nervous with a strained smile. "That's enough. Come on, we have to check on the village later and I'd prefer not to be covered in blood."

"He's right, _Kitty_." Thorn smirked challengingly. "And you're making yourself look bad in front of our guests."

"Whatever." Suddenly Luxi got on her toes and gave a quick peck on Lusol's cheek. "See you later, Lusol." With her hit, she hurried off, leaving Lusol blushing.

"See you sooner." Thorn followed Luxi at his own pace, leaving a finger on Lusol's chest and teasing him with it until he had to draw back.

"Oh brother…" Lusol sighed when they were both gone. "I'm in deep, deep hot water…"

"Excuse me." Lusol shifted his gaze to his left to see Lor and Melody hugging and looking at him with confused faces. "But what was that all about?"

"Nothing." Lusol sighed again to Lor. Then in a snap his attitude changed completely to adventurous and fore-going. "But since Thorn's gone, I need to get ready to leave, and you have no clue how to navigate through the place, how about I take you to the garden? I think Princess Emi's there."

"Emi?" Lor asked.

"Yeah. Arlax's sister- or, at least, one of his sisters. She's an absolute doll! Trust me, you'll love her!" As if asking her friend, Lor looked to Melody, who returned the glance at the same time.

"What do you say, Mel? I'm sure you'll love to see a garden after gosh knows how long."

Melody only nodded, and to be honest, that's all she needed to do.

"Great!" Lusol clapped his hands together. "I can show you the other rooms along the way! We have the way to the east wing, the royal storage room, the mother room, the bathing... Uh… Melody?" Melody had all of a sudden looked unsteady and green in the face. "Never mind. The short way it is, then!"

* * *

><p><strong>All right, guys. I'm so sorry for the late up-date, but like I said, this is a "come when it's done" fanfic. I have received several questions asking if I was continuing the story and my answer is: Yes, I for sure am.<strong>

**It's just really hard to keep up with this when my grades are on the line. Being a senior in high school has its tough times. VERY tough times… Especially with a government and economics class giving you about 50% of the over-all homework out of four core classes.**

**Sorry, just me ranting. But let's get back to the story. What are your favorite parts? Do you have any questions relating to the story? Found any grammar mistakes? Have any suggestions on how to make the story even better? Tell me ALL about it in reviews and PMs. Please! The only way I can improve is through critisizm! You'll be doing us both a favor! I'll even give you a digital snickerdoodle!**

**What is mine:**  
><strong>Melody Hedgehog<strong>  
><strong>The Story<strong>  
><strong>Arlax "Rattalia"<strong>  
><strong>Lusol Hedgehog<br>****Shard Hedgeshark  
>Diamante<br>**

**A dear friend/sister of mine known as Scuffy:**  
><strong>Lor Hedgehog<br>****Luxi Cat**

**A dear friend/sister of mine known as FrozenDarkness on deviantArt:**  
><strong>Neveah "Rattalia"<strong>  
><strong>Thorn Hedgehog<strong>

**A dear friend/sister of mine known as Emi-Chan:  
><strong>**Emi "Rattalia"**


	5. Chapter 5- Her Grace's Garden and Her

**Chapter five: **_Her Grace's Garden and Her Swing_

"Princess Emi?" Lusol called into the marvelous garden. "Your Grace, I have two new hedgehogs you would love to meet!"

Melody followed the strange-quilled hedgehog down a small set of stone stairs to the lush green grass. The garden was huge! It mainly divided itself by small flower beds and hedges leading into what appears to be short mazes. Off further ahead a naga sat on top of her coiled tail underneath a large oak tree with a small cup in her hands. Sitting right across from her was a dark-furred wolf with a similar cup up to her lips.

"Lusol," The naga greeted when the three were close enough to speak to one another. "I heard two girls were rescued by Neveah yesterday. Are these the two?"

"You're absolutely right, Emi." Lusol bowed his head. "Emi, I present Melody Hedgehog and Lor Hedgehog."

All four of the girls bowed to one another. Melody could see that Emi was the echidna in the portraits back in the throne room, yet she, too, had a naga tail. She was probably just as big as Neveah minus the ears. She had soft pink curls in her locks and a pair of red-framed glasses in front of her eyes. The gown she had on looked to be more like a cute summer dress than anything royal. But that only made her even more gentle-looking and easier to speak to.

As for the wolf next to her, she had no naga tail, and she looked only slightly taller than herself. She, too, had a summer dress with ribbons in her hair. The way they both smiled at her was so soft and welcoming. It felt as though they had been friends for as long as she had been alive.

"Would you care to join us, Sir Lusol?" The wolf spoke up, gesturing to a tea set spread out in front of her. "There are plenty of cups."

"I would," Lusol began, eyeing a slice of lemon in the set. "But I have my duties to attend to. King Arlax wants his, Neveah's, and Scuffy's units to help the town with the celebration."

"Now Lusol," Emi winked as she held up one cup and began pouring hot tea into it. "When have you ever turned a blind eye away from such a nice offer?" Lusol flinched and laughed a bit.

"Ooh, you know how to get me where it hurts, Your Grace." And happily took the cup.

Quickly, Melody began to piece things together. She noticed Lusol was much too formal than usual, and thought that rather strange. Then she took into account who she was in the presence of, and realized Princess Emi was much too nice and gentle for anything else. It was difficult to imagine Lusol joking around with her like he did with Arlax.

Then again, it was difficult to believe how he acted in front of the King in the first place, and how Arlax handled it.

"Yes, we love your garden!" Lor nodded happily. Melody blinked and realized the princess asked a question.

"_O-oui__!_ Absolutely." Melody followed.

"That's wonderful." Emi smiled. "Come sit, you two. This is the nicest weather we've had for a while and lunch will be coming soon."

* * *

><p>"Princess Emi-Chan is the kindest, most thoughtful princess ever!" The wolf, Emi, exclaimed shortly after Lusol left.<p>

"It's amazing you both have the same name." Lor laughed. "What are the coincidences?"

"It is a beautiful name." Princess Emi nodded as she sipped her cup. "That is why Em is one of my closest friends in the castle."

Melody could relate having a close friend. She smiled at the thought of Lor holding her in her arms every day. She was her best friend, even her own sister with all the pain they endured together. Now they were living in a castle meeting every royal naga and servant- No, not servants. Friends. Not once was there a hint of any reference to servants from Neveah, Arlax, nor Emi. They were treated like friends, even so much as family. It was a wonderful sight to see. There was absolutely nothing to fear at all. Everyone treated equally… Just like how Arlax promised her. So long as he's happy, everyone's happy.

"I love being your friend, Princess Emi-Chan." Emi giggled. "Because you're my best friend, too."

"Oh, hush, Em." The naga blushed and smiled some more. "You'll make me cry."

"No, no! Please don't cry!" Emi reached over to grasp her friend's hand. "I'm sorry! I don't want to make you cry!"

"It's all right. Your words just touch my heart kindly." Suddenly the wolf girl gasped.

"Princess! There's a sparrow!" She whispered urgently. "I think it's Fredrick again!" All three turned their heads to see a red-brown bird slowly hop its way closer to the group, trying to look as casual as possible.

"I think it is, Em!" Emi praised softly. "Here, take the bread crumbs and toss them just like I showed you." Carefully the wolf tore small pieces off a small loaf of bread and tossed them a little bit away from the bird. Immediately he flew up and over to the crumbs and began gobbling the entire thing.

"How about you two try?" Princess Emi offered softly to Lor and Melody. Lor didn't hesitate to pluck a few and toss them just like Emi did. Melody, however, didn't move. "Go on, Melody. It's all right. He loves the bread."

"Uh…" Melody hesitantly reached out. But before she could touch the food, Fredrick flew away after his meal.

"Darn." Emi the wolf laughed. "He flew away too soon. Maybe next time, Miss Melody."

"Have you ever fed a bird before?" Princess Emi asked the brunette, who sadly shook her head in return. "Do not worry. There will be more opportunities for you."

In fact, Melody was always kind of envious of the birds. When she was in that cage, she always saw at least one bird fly over-head squawking. She always tried to picture what they saw up in the air while trying to picture herself with the wind blowing through her hair. Oh, how she longed to be free from that place. She could fly away and never be found again. She would even try to get Lor to fly with her, and they could fly away together. Was this her dream? To be free from that circus? She was free from the circus, but bound to another name. She felt lighter and happier with all the dirt and pain gone, but she wasn't even close to flying…

And not all her pain went away. It still hurt sometimes to close her eyes, and even more so when she felt her dress feeling tight on her like the rags she had for a good seven years. The first three she had the same cloths they took her away in; a small pink top made for a six-year-old and a ripped-up skirt. The tight cloths would sometimes come close to choking her neck and make it hard to move her arms in. And the way the rags clung onto her body when it was drenched with sweat, water, and even blood from the whips made it that much more difficult to breath. Even at this very moment she could feel its wrap around her shoulders and back. Her diaphragm couldn't reach out like it could use to. She began to panic. It was hard to breath.

"Melody!" Lor called to her, grabbing her cheeks. Melody blinked a few times as she tried to catch her breath. "Stop thinking! Just stop! You're safe here!" She hadn't realized a few tears were already making their way down her cheeks and following Lor's palms.

"Oh dear." Princess Emi said softly. "My dear, can you breathe?" Melody shook her head in her confusion. "All right, hang in there."

Before anything else could be done, Emi reached to her and touched her chest with her fingers. Melody flinched. She was never used to having even Lor touch her there. Behind the dress she felt Emi's fingers nimbly work their way with something in the middle behind her frills. Then, suddenly, the chest-piece of the green dress widened. It was like a hand gripping her lungs just suddenly disappeared and she was able to take in deep breaths.

"There you go." Emi said gently as she retracted back to her original spot. "The strings were bound too tight on you. We'll have to get you another dress."

Another?! Melody thought she already wore one too many as a servant. She wasn't even supposed to wear such elaborate things.

"Oh my Gods…" Lor was left almost speechless. "How did… How did you know?"

"I've gone through the same thing." Emi explained as she gazed into her tea cup. "You see, before I became Arlax' sister, I wore those kinds of dresses constantly.

* * *

><p>"It is our honor to be in your presence, your majesties." Two echidna-nagas bowed their heads to the two wolf-nagas wearing a crown each.<p>

"Mufan, Rose-Ann," The king greeted them. "Please, do not act so low like our servants. We are nagas. We only receive the bows."

"Quite right, King Rattalia." The female, Rose-Ann, laughed. "Our mistake. We would like to introduce our daughter, Emi."

With a snap of her fingers, a small, young, pink naga slowly slithered over with her head hung low. She stopped at her parents' side and did nothing else.

"Emi!" Mufan hissed. "Show some respect!" In a hurry the young girl bent her torso further down before slowly bringing it back up. "My apologies, your highness. She is just nervous."

"Make sure that is changed quickly." The queen ordered with a flick of her hand. "We cannot have a naga like her so any hesitance to take authority. Imagine the power she would surrender the moment a homeless boy approaches her."

"We tell her the same thing, your highness." Rose-Ann bowed. "In due time she will grow out of her childish phase."

"Mother? Father?" A young feminine voice called. Everyone turned their heads to see a slender wolf girl slithering down a flight of stairs.

"What is it now, Neveah?" The king groaned as he crossed his arms. "This had better be about Arlax."

"Arlax finally opened his eyes." Neveah bowed her head, as if speaking to her own parents required permission. "He had a nightmare while he was sleeping and wanted to see you two to make sure his dream wasn't real."

"And you couldn't just tell him we were all right?" The queen growled with narrowed eyes.

"H-he… he was scared, mother. A-and I was worried."

"A useless effort." The king looked away, seeing other nagas in fancy attire move in another room away. "If he wants to be king, he needs to know the difference between dreams and reality."

"If I may, sire." Mufan piped-in with a smile. "May my daughter, Emi, join your daughter to the prince to greet?"

"A wonderful idea, Mufan." The queen smiled. Then she flicked her hand at Neveah. "Shoo, child. And take their daughter with you back to Arlax."

"_I couldn't really tell back then, but I think Neveah liked the idea. Of course, I never saw her face more than twice during the trip there. All I did was look at the ground and follow her tail. I think even once she tried to tell me Arlax hardly ever saw another naga his age other than herself. I was too nervous to really say anything._"

"Here he is." Neveah said softly as she shifted a small curtain to the side to allow their entrance. Emi continued to follow until shortly after her guide stopped. "Arlax? You have a visitor."

"Nhg…" A boy moaned wearily on top of his bed. Emi finally looked up and saw a pale-faced naga looking quite sick shift his head to the side to look at her. "Is… Mom… and Dad… all right?" He asked softly, almost in a pant.

"They're absolutely fine, Arlax." Neveah nodded as she went over to sit closer to his. "Do you remember Sir Mufan and Lady Rose-Ann? Their daughter is here to see you." He looked over again and seemed to strain his eyes to look past a blur.

"Her?" He faintly whispered. Neveah nodded. "Why is… she so… stiff?"

"Huh?" His sister questioned him. Emi blushed and lowered her head back down. Apparently she was already in a bad first-impression.

"Her cloths…" Arlax whispered as he tried to sit up. Sweat glossed his hair and cloths with the faint candle-light. "They're too tight."

"Wh-what do you mean?"

"Come here…" Arlax reached a weak hand over, and Emi barely noticed but followed directions. He had to constantly repeat himself until he hand was able to firmly rest against the naga's torso. Slowly his fingers began fumbling around, and Emi was tempted to cringe away should he keep touching.

"Arlax!" Neveah tried to stop him. "You're very ill. She's perfectly fine."

"Why do… girls… wear… such tight… clothes?" Arlax muttered as he felt the firm corset about Emi's waist. "You… can't… breathe…"

"Uh-! I- uh…" Emi stuttered in her young, slightly squeaky voice as Arlax's hand traveled further up.

"_I laugh at it now because Arlax was sick to his head. But when I first met him, I thought he was trying to touch me for his own pleasure. And I don't remember how, but he managed to snap the strings off in the dress. I was so scared and surprised I didn't notice how much easier it was for me to breathe. But after that he fell to his bed again and didn't move more than his eyes and mouth._"

"Why do… you wear that?" Arlax asked Emi quietly once everything settled down.

"My mother and father forced me to." Emi answered with a shamed head hung down. "They said that's the only way I look presentable."

"That's… dumb…" Arlax scolded as much as he could. "You're fine… just being… you…"

"Forgive my brother." Neveah apologized to Emi. "He does not understand the ideals of looking decent every day."

"What's decent… by choking… yourself?"

"_And that wasn't the first time I heard that question. I asked myself the same thing every time mother wanted me to wear a new dress. The dresses I had looked beautiful, but wearing them hurt more than anything else. I didn't realize it, but that was my first step challenging the Naga tradition. After that I asked more and more questions, like 'Who provides the food we eat?', 'Who built the house I live in?', and 'What do the people see me as?' My world of 'Just do as you are told' crumbled as more and more answers came to me. And steadily I realized my own home was a corrupted place- a place I could no longer call my own._"

* * *

><p>"Sorry for going off topic." Princess Emi laughed when she caught where she was in her story. "I think the weather has me thinking more and more than I should."<p>

"Oh, no, Princess Emi-Chan." Emi sighed pleasantly. "That was a wonderful story. You tell the best."

"Wow…" Lor quietly let out as she took in the whole tale. "King Arlax started all that by cutting the laces?"

The naga nodded. "He was very wise even back then. And because he taught me that, I've been free to have what makes me happy. I learned that no matter what kind of person you are, you are perfect. Jewels and ribbons might look like they make you shine, but really they only cover the true beauty they can never have." She brought a hand to her chest and smiled softly. "A heart."

"If that's the case, then you're the most beautiful of them all." Emi smiled broadly.

"All right, Em. That's enough." The naga blushed with a tiny smile. "You're embarrassing me. Don't forget you're beautiful, too."

"No I'm not! At least, not as beautiful as you!"

"Don't be so sure of yourself." She gave her friend a look of both friendly laughter and stern warning. "You're not looking at yourself deep enough to see just how much of a rose you are. Never over-look how beautiful others see you as just so you can see other flowers."

"Oh brother." Lor laughed. "Are you two usually this way?"

"Sometimes, Miss Lor." The wolf smiled, wagging her tail. "But we always have lots of fun!"

Melody set her cup down. Hearing that story gave her a sense of protection. She really liked Emi because she gave everyone attention and wanted them happy, just like Arlax. And just seeing how simple she dressed made her feel so comfortable to enjoy herself and not worry about being formal to a princess.

"Miss Melody?" Emi asked all of a sudden, catching her by surprise. "Do you want to go to the swing?"

"Uh… The what?"

"The swing! You know, the thing that hangs from a tree and you move back and forth on it."

"Um… What's a swing?" At first she thought Emi meant the motion of swinging.

"Oh dear!" The naga princess exclaimed in surprise. "You don't know what a swing is? That's horrible!"

"Come on, I'll show you!" The wolf girl stood up and grabbed Melody's hand to pull her up.

"Wha- Wait!" Melody gasped as she was pulled to her feet and dragged to another tree a few feet away. Lor laughed and followed.

"Be careful, Em!" Emi called after before they were too distracted to listen.

* * *

><p>"You see? Now you just have to kick your legs up." Emi instructed once Melody was seated on a large white plank held up by two ropes on either side. Awkwardly she kicked them up, but it was hard to keep them up because of the large loose dress.<p>

"L-like this?"

"Exactly! Now kick them under you!" Melody did so. "Great. Now just keep doing that." Melody swung her legs as fast as she could, and both Emi and Lor went into a fit of laughter. "No, not like that. Here, I'll help you."

"Eeek!" Melody gasped when Emi pushed the swing forward. Then her heart stopped when it went backwards. With all her might she clung onto the ropes and squeezed her eyes shut, which sent her stomach hurling into circles.

"Swing your legs up to go up." Emi encouraged as she gave Melody another push. "There you go, see? You gotta open your eyes, too, or you'll get sick."

When she opened her eyes, Melody panicked how high she was. Her feet were at least as high as her head would be standing on the ground. Then she went backwards and everything raced in front of her. "A-Ahh!"

"It's all right, Mel!" Lor called nearby. "You're doing great!"

"This is high! This is very high!"

"Except you can go even higher!" Emi laughed.

"_Non, non, non_! This is good- Ah!"

Although it was like ice pouring over her heart, the exhilaration was amazing. When she went forward she felt like she was flying. Like she was swooping from a tree branch and flying away. The wind brushed through her hair like a hand and each fiber followed her head like a trail of ribbons. Every time she reached the highest point forward she could see more and more of the garden from the eyes of a bird. She could see Princess Emi watching them happily and wave to her. She would have waved back, but removing her hands from the rope for even a split second lurched her heart forward.

"Guess what, Miss Melody! You're swinging all by yourself!"

The brunette looked around and noticed both girls were standing to the side clapping their hands. If it could, her heart would've raced even faster. She was on her own at this point, like a bird that just left the nest. If she swung high enough, maybe she really _could_ fly through the sky. At this point anything seemed possible.

* * *

><p>"It looks like you had a lot of fun, Mel." Lor smiled when Emi was able to stop the swing.<p>

"_Oui_! You need to try it!" Melody happily said as she got off for Lor to get on.

"I know how to swing." Lor said when Emi offered to push her. "Papa taught me when I was little."

"Em! Lor! Melody!" Princess Emi called. "Lunch is here. Come and eat before it gets cold!"

"Aww…" Lor pouted for a moment. "And I was just about to get my turn, too."

"It's all right, Miss Lor." Emi tried to cheer her up. "After lunch we can come right back here and play some more!"

"I know." Lor laughed, getting up. "C'mon, Mel! I'm hungry to the pits of my stomach."

"_Oui!_" Melody nodded as she ran alongside both girls back to the tea set.

"I watched you, Melody." The naga princess smiled when they sat around. "You looked as though you were enjoying yourself."

"I was, _merci_!" She smiled back. "That was the most fun I've ever had!"

"Then be prepared to say that a lot." She winked. "You live in the castle now. There are more things to do than just swing on a wooden board."

"Sir Lusol made honey biscuits again, didn't he Princess Emi-Chan?" Emi smiled at the food before her.

"Yes, because he knows how much we love them. Now eat up, everyone! 'Least we lose them to the bees." After a small laugh, they ate and Melody smiled through the whole thing.

* * *

><p><strong>Holy cow! Two chapters in one day?! What has the world come to?! xD<strong>

**Okay, so this was a bit of a slow one, yes, but now you have insight what one sister sees in Arlax. I also wanted to point-out how inner beauty is the best kind of beauty and how you just need to be you. :)**

**Did you guys like this chapter? I'm sure I did! And… I **_**should**_** probably read it to fix any grammar mistakes buuuut… I'm too lazy. xD That's what YOU guys are for! –**throws confetti**- Tell me what you think whenever you want. I'm always open to receive comments, positive or negative… But please don't be too mean. ;w; Thankies.**

**What belongs to moi:  
><strong>**The story  
>Melody Hedgehog<br>Arlax "Rattalia"  
>Mufan and Rose-Ann<br>Fredrick**

**What belongs to my dear friend/sister who's known as Scuffy:****  
>Lor Hedgehog<strong>

**What belongs to my dear friend/sister who's known as FrozenDarkness on deviantArt:****  
>Neveah "Rattalia"<strong>

**What belongs to my dear friend/sister who's known as Emi-Chan:****  
>Emi "Rattalia"<br>Emi Wolf**


	6. Chapter 6- Advice from Advisors

**Chapter six:**_ Advice from Advisors_

"Ah, Melody!" Upon stepping into the castle walls once more, Melody and Lor were almost immediately greeted by the King Naga himself, Arlax.

"_Bonjour, mon roi!_" Melody bowed.

"Melody, I have a favor to ask of you." The moment the wolf-naga was able to, he took the hedgehog's hands and looked into her eyes. "Do you remember Diamante, by any chance?"

"_Oui!_ He is your advisor, right?"

"Correct." He turned his head around to look behind him but never let go of the girl. "Here is the one I was talking to you about." From behind him a hooded figure dressed in a deep blue robe trimmed and adorned with yellow patterns walked forward. In the red glow of the setting sun, his mysterious presentation really shone. To the young girl, he had a sense of danger about him.

Then all of a sudden he stopped once he was only a foot or two away from her. It was impossible to make out a face in the shadows of the hood, but how he presented himself intimidated her because it was hard to tell exactly where and how he was looking. Finally, before Melody thought she would crack under the pressure, she opened her mouth.

"U-uh… _Bon_-"

"You've been scared and re-scared deep wounds." He suddenly spoke in a wise-man tone. "Some of which will never heal. A terrible fate life brought upon a child as innocent as you once were."

"B-b-b…" Melody stuttered. For some reason her voice wouldn't come out. It was like he was looking straight into her soul.

"Calm yourself, Milady." Arlax assured with a raised hand. He turned to speak once more to the hooded man, but Lor stepped in front of her friend before anything could be said.

"She is already aware of her pain." She said firmly, standing as if shielding her friend from missiles. "She does not need a reminded again for the hundredth time today."

"Lor!" Arlax warned. Then the hooded one leaned forward to inspect Lor's face.

"You lost someone valuable to your heart." He said calmly. "You're empty and hurt. You're scared, but not from me. You're scared for your friend. You're scared of widening that hole in your heart, a place that was stabbed and stabbed again like a dagger from the hands of greed and lies…"

"Sh- SHUT UP!" Lor yelled as a tiny trail of saliva flew out of her reddening face. "You don't know what you're talking about! You have no right to say that!" Her fists clenched and Melody shirked away with a frightened look about her face. What happened? One second Lor was calm and collected. Now, out of nowhere, she snapped. She never did that before.

"A broken promise…" The advisor continued as if listing off ingredients on a shelf. "Betrayal, sufferage, shame-"

"I TOLD YOU SHUT UP!"

"Enough!" Arlax commanded in a booming voice that echoed all around the hallway for a good three seconds. Everything stopped in Melody's eye, including her heart. A sudden wave of cold washed over her. She couldn't even tell if she was breathing. What happened? Everything moved too fast.

Then the silence was broken by a small cough from the snow-white hedgehog, which then followed with a sniffle and a series of gasps.

"My apologies." The hood of the cloak bowed down a little ways. "I… I do not know what came over me."

"You should have thought about that before you spoke!" Lor yelled with a dying voice. A few tears escaped her eyes and quickly splashed onto the ground below.

"You're right." Arlax comforted the apologetic figure with two hands clasped gently on his shoulders.

"Please, do not think he meant any harm." He explained gently. "When one has a gift to peer into another's heart, sometimes their own fills and floods much too quickly to stop before damage is done. He did not mean to remind you of pain in any sort, I promise you that."

For the first time Melody could remember, Lor turned back around and buried her face into her shoulder. It was a bit strange because of the green dress and how hard it was to return it with an embrace of her own. But after a moment to process exactly what the situation she was in, she made the most of it and held her friend the best she could.

"Melody?..." Arlax asked her comfortingly. With her concerned hazel eyes, the brunette looked up. "May I have a word with Lor alone? Just like you were when we spoke, she… She needs to let it out. Do you understand?"

She wished she didn't. She wished she could request to stay with her and keep holding her like she was now. But something told her Lor needed to rely on Arlax and not a friend. She wouldn't be able to open-up if Melody interfered.

"All right…" The brown girl nodded quietly.

"N-no!" Lor sobbed as she tightened her grip. "You're staying with me! We've been together this long and we're not splitting up again today!"

Melody looked to Arlax for a resolution, coming close to tears herself. But the Naga king only shook his head regretfully. "Lor… Please…" She whispered. "We're safe now. Just as you told me, we have nothing to be afraid of. King Arlax will make you feel better. I promise."

"I hate you…" Lor mumbled, but it sounded as though she understood. "I'd better see you again before tonight."

"I promise I'll be waiting." A few seconds after the promise, Lor inched away and shifted to Arlax's side with her head hung.

"My deepest gratitude, you two," Arlax said kindly. "For your trust will not be in vain. Melody, I will entrust my advisor, Diamante, to take you from here. I will find you two before dinner will be served." Melody could only nod and follow the hooded advisor. He put a hand around her shoulder in a sense to guide her down the hall.

"I promise to speak no further of personal matters." He reassured. Before they turned around a corner, Melody turned her head around to try and catch a glimpse of her dear friend.

It could have been the teary face, but Lor's face looked angry, and she was looking directly at her.

* * *

><p>It was an awkward stroll through the castle between the two of them. Diamante hardly explained anything more than the rooms they passed.<p>

"You're worried." He suddenly claimed. "Even without looking at your face I can tell."

Melody was too distracted with her own thoughts to reply. How long had Lor been there to hold her? Not once did she recall her friend ever saying how she ended up in the same cell as her. She was always… busy with trying to keep her quiet.

"Melody?" Diamante asked calmly. "May I ask of you to forget my promise earlier? I am more concerned with your health and suffering than keeping my word." Melody let out a quiet breath and nodded. "I give you my gratitude and apologies. Answer however comfortable you see fit."

The questions that followed were mainly concerned about Lor. Melody tried to answer as best as she could, but anything relating to what happened before they met was answered with "I don't know… I'm sorry."

"Now, why were you sent to that horrible place?" Diamante asked bluntly.

"I was…" Melody began weakly. Usually she would have fallen into a hysterical fit of tears upon being asked such a question. But Diamante allowed her to take smaller, easier questions first to brace herself. That and she had cried several times already that day. She was nearly dry to the bone from her tears. "I was unable to make my parents happy."

"And why was that?"

"Because… I cannot read." Melody tucked her face to the side in shame. "A-and I cannot play an instrument right, and I was much too quiet, and I'm wretched to look at, and I'm ungrateful, and-"

"I'm going to stop you right there." Diamante held out a hand, which made Melody fall silent. "From what you've told me, do all of those affect you as of now?"

"_O-oui_…"

"So you cannot read and you cannot play an instrument. Who tried to teach you?"

"I-I cannot remember… I was always so busy. I-I think different teachers tried to teach me, but they gave up when I could not improve."

"And how long did each teacher last?" Melody had to pause to think.

"No more than… four days."

"Did your _Mamá o Papá_ try to teach you?"

"I-" But she couldn't finish because right then, as they were approaching a cross in the hallway, she ran into someone head-on. "Oof!"

"O-oh! Sorry!" An elderly male voice apologized. Melody looked up to begin her own but paused when she saw the strangest of all features.

The one before her was very dark in fur color all over his visible body. Hair covered nearly his entire face, save his eyes and muzzle, and made his head appear bulkier than it probably was. Where normal ears would be he had two tuffs of fur- seeming to act more as antler than anything the brunette could describe. Along the back of his globe ran a lighter shade of hair of a different texture than that which fell in the front. His dark green eyes blended in with his ashen face, and he had a similar robe Diamante had.

In fact, save for a slight difference in size, it pretty much was the exact same. A slender, stiff tail made an appearance from behind and he had a gold bracelet around his left wrist. Though it was startling enough to see a smoke-colored, dark-eyed being run into you with no warning, Melody's eyes drifted slightly to the sides where a pair of leathery-brown, scaly wings were lazily tucked behind.

"Hmm-! U-uh-!" Melody whimpered silently as she tried to find a breath to speak.

"Hmm?" The winged creature looked curious with studious eyes. "Who are-"

"Xydrin! Good timing!" Diamante jumped in, placing a gentle hand on the girl's shoulder and drawing her back. "_Xydrin-amigo,_ meet _Señorita Melody_. The same one _Arlax-amigo_ spoke highly of earlier."

"The same one?" Xydrin chuckled in astonishment. Then, to Melody's next surprise, he bowed his whole torso forward. "It is an honor to meet your presence, Milady." As he bowed his wings spread out to each side slightly.

"_A-a-anon!_" Melody tried to stop his curtesy. It was seriously too much. No one in the castle paid any attention to their own titles. Why does everyone treat her better than what she really was, a slave? She should be the one bowing first and noticing their titles.

"She speaks." Xydrin chuckled as he straightened back. "French, too, from what King Arlax has told us." Melody scrunched her face tight as a red blush crossed her face. How much did he say about her exactly?

"But that aside," Diamante changed topics with a wave of his hand. "Where are you headed, _Xydrin-amigo_? You're always busy it's hard to keep track of your schedule."

"That is because I don't have one." Ash-face declared proudly with a smirk. "I do what is needed at any given time: Letters, announcements, antidotes, gardening, gathering, scribing, research- The whole bundle of being an advisor to a princess."

"_Señorita Scuffy_ is very lucky to have you, _amigo_." With those words of comfort, Xydrin gave a dismal sigh.

"She sure does make it tough to get her to relax." He said with a half-hearted 'ha'. "No matter what I do, she's always on the edge. She's either trying to do five things at once or she gets anxious whenever I approach her." Things went quiet for a few seconds before the hooded Diamante put a hand on the winged advisor's head, giving it a bit of a rub.

"You're doing the best you can, _amigo_." He said warmly. "She's most likely having a hard time admitting she's in control of a whole kingdom different than her birth home. In addition she's still young in her age taking on a large role."

"I know that…" Xydrin sighed again, removing Diamante's hand. "I just wish she would let me take some of her load. She's trying to grow up faster than Life will let her."

"You know what I'm going to say." Diamante sounded as though he smiled behind that hood. Xydrin gave him a look.

"Be there to catch whatever falls." They said together.

"Diamante," Xydrin shook his head with a laugh. "I've lived to see more generations than you can count. How do you always give the advice in the end?"

"Because I'm not troubled." He shrugged.

"Then why do you cover your face? especially in front of a guest?"

For the first time in the past minute or two, Melody was noticed. For a second even she forgot she was there. Now with the spotlight suddenly on her she shifted awkwardly in the green dress loosened around her waist.

Diamante waved a hand once more. "I have my reasons." He explained. "I think it best if she discovers secrets one step at a time naturally."

"You're only putting a veil over a perfectly healthy face." Xydrin told, wagging a clawed finger. "Trying to hide something only makes the fear more obvious and malicious."

"Sometimes," Diamante continued the lesson as Xydrin began to part from the two on his own way. "A secret can be your worst enemy when used against you, the heaviest mask when used to conceal you, and the sharpest sword when thrown to others."

"I do not see how that helps your case, my friend."

"I never said it does." Diamante shifted to one side and put his hands on his hips. When the winged advisor disappeared, he turned back around to face Melody. "My sincerest apologizes." He said. "I did not mean to ignore you."

"_A-anon_! You did nothing wrong." Melody squeaked, still nervous from the encounter. "But… If I may ask…"

"Why is Xydrin so worried about Scuffy?" Diamante completed the question.

'_Not… really…_' Melody wanted to say, but thought it best to just nod her head.

"You've already heard from me earlier that Scuffy is from another kingdom. In fact, she was born to an allied kingdom and is a princess there- Well, _was_."

"Was?"

"_S_í. You see, I don't know all the details, but I remember the night I heard it all…"

* * *

><p>Bells from watch towers rang through the chilly, storming night. Guards stationed everywhere screamed "Dragon! Dragon!" Everyone screamed in panic as a giant black shadow glided through the dark clouds. Diamante had hurried to the castle walls where countless archers were stationed.<p>

"Stop!" He continuously cried past the crash of thunder. "Cease fire! Cease fire!"

"Fire at will!" A booming voice ordered, outmatching Diamante's plea without competition. A thousand arrows sailed through the skies and strummed strings resounded in short bursts. Immediately Diamante rammed himself into the naga who order the attack.

"Call off the attack!" Diamante roared past the whistling arrows from above and shouts of battle commands from below. "That dragon is-" Before he could finish the general's hand clasped around the advisor's neck and lifted him off the ground a few inches. Diamante gagged for air as he helplessly struggled to remove himself from the death-grip. A pair of black slits in bright yellow eyes stared him down angrily, accompanied by an evil smirk.

"Your damned kind has no right to order a Naga." He snarled as a forked tongue escaped his lips. "Oh-ho-ho, I've wanted to do this for a _long_ time, 'ya filthy scum." Through the howling wind and rain, Diamante was brought to the edge of the wall. Quickly his whole body was dangling over thirty-five feet of air and a heavily rocky dirt road below that.

"Put him down right now!" A young voice demanded from behind. Lightning flashed and the general spun around to see Prince Arlax holding a sword prepared to strike. In that split second of light, his deep brown eyes glared threateningly at the commander like daggers aiming for a target on a wall. After a moment of hesitation the Naga threw Diamante back to the top of the wall, leaving him to choke and clutch his neck in pain.

"Call off the attack!" Arlax repeated the ordered. "Call it off right now!"

"Cease fire!" The firmly-built Naga called into the night, raising his hand. A few deep horns blasted and in seconds all arrows stopped. But Arlax never once lost eye-contact with the brute.

"Gorlad, General of the Rattalian defense army and Commander of the Archer Unit," Arlax spoke with firm power as he pointed his sword at his target's chest. "I, Arlax Rattalia, Prince of Azurla Rattalia, sentence you to trial for treason of neglecting royal command and attempted murder of Royal Family."

"Watch it, Princey." Gorlad glared with a growl. "We're in the midst of a battle. That dragon is coming straight for-"

"That _dragon_ comes from the West!" Arlax shouted, ripping Gorlad's rain-soaked armor with the tip of his sword, then dropping the end to the wet ground. "A direct line from castle Shendale! A _black_ dragon from _Shendale_!"

"Shendale has declared war on us! They sent their dragon without warning! How else do you explain it?"

"That dragon has a rider!" Diamante barked when he was able to stand from his heavy cloak. "A young female rider ill-prepared for war! She's dressed in a simple nightgown!"

Right then the massive black dragon soared above their heads and crashed into the castle courtyard. Luckily no buildings were demolished. Only the runway was damaged with a large trail that tore away the stone surface and uprooted anything in its path.

"Retrieve the rider!" Arlax commanded to the soldiers below. "Do not harm her or the dragon! They come for help!" A rough hand clamped down on his shoulder and forced him to spin around, meeting eye-to-eye with Gorlad.

"Who do you think you are commanding my army?" He snarled threateningly. "You could have killed us!" Immediately Arlax brought his sword up and over to meet Gorlad's wrist.

"Unhand me or you'll go to the dungeons with an untreated, removed hand." He glared right back. The general hissed but backed away.

"You'll pay for this, Princey." He promised as another lightning bolt flashed nearby. Then in seconds he faded into the shadows of the night where torchlight couldn't reach.

_I never trusted that Naga any more than I would Arlax left alone to explore the castle. And the boy knew that, too. That night only confirmed it. But going back to the dragon- By the time the rider was rescued from the crash, the dragon had already began shrinking in size until it was a regular-sized hedgehog. Immediately he demanded an audience with the King and Queen._

"What is the meaning of this?!" The canine Naga king bellowed after the hedge-dragon explained his plea for help. A large bandage was wrapped around his waist and arm with red splotches dotting the fabric. Those were where the arrows hit while he was still a dragon.

"An attack on Shendale is a sudden claim with no warning." Diamante stepped forward from the throne's side. He had listened to the whole case and studied the ash-colored face.

"But I speak no lies!" Xydrin, the injured half-dragon, raised his voice in desperation. "The royal family has been assassinated by their own citizens! I watched as their blood splattered the walls and listened as screams for mercy vanished! Princess Silvia witnessed every ordeal!"

"He speaks no lies, Sire." Diamante muttered to the King. "Have your fears of revolutions finally come true?"

"Impossible." The king growled lowly. "How dare they defy the natural order?" With a wave of his hand he summoned two feline servants from the crowd of castle workers awoken by the sounds of battle. "Take this dragon to the third-floor guest room, and have Princess Silvia with him at all times. And bring me the scouting party this instant!"

_After a week the scout report came showing Shendale was in the midst of a revolution. But rumors went faster because by then all of Azurla and the surrounding villages and cities knew about the mass assassination. Silvia, or rather Scuffy, had a hard time returning from her memories of the murders of her family. She had nightmares every night. The torment of sinful murder haunted her every waking second she could count._

* * *

><p>"And then one day it stopped." Diamante ended.<p>

"Just like that?... It stopped?" Melody asked quietly as if urging him to skip the joke and continue.

"_Sí_. Of course I skipped the part about changing her name to conceal her identity, and since then _Xydrin-amigo_ has been her only family since birth. But her nightmares and worries about what happened before just stopped one day." He brought a hand to scratch a cheek (yet still covered by the hood). "It's strange because it was the day after she came back from Evershadow Forest…"

"Evershadow?" The pair stopped walking and Diamante stood in front of a rather small tapestry hanging on the wall of a map which included places like Rattalia, Shendale, and four others. South-East of Azurla and boarding two other territories was a long, large splotch of green labeled 'Evershadow Forest'.

"The place where those dark of heart hide when judgment calls." Diamante explained with a lower tone. "In its thickets where the sun never shines, hideous creatures stow away and prey on the weak. Or those who's soul is lost and wanders aimlessly through the darkness."

Melody shivered. Nothing but nightmares to her.

"Most who go in have scars at the bare minimum that last for years." Diamante continued. "But all reports tell the same thing; day or night the deeper you go the darker it gets until you walk far enough to where you're in absolute darkness. I would not recommend going there anytime soon, _amiga_."

The advisor tore his eyes off the map to look outside. It was the darker part of twilight and the sun had nearly disappeared. The red light plastered on the walls from the windows lost the shimmer of fire and outside torches were set ablaze and soft candles were placed along the castle walls.

"It grows late, Melody." Diamante sighed softly. "I do believe King Arlax is waiting for us. Luckily we're not too far away from the dining hall. Come on." He began walking back the way they came at a speed noticeably faster than they were at before. But the silent hedgehog had so many questions she could not utter nor gather together to make a complete thought.

"C-coming!" She stuttered after looking out the window one last time. Behind her a chilled wind blew, touching her soft cheek. She had to pause and look around. It felt more like a hand than anything. A soft… cold hand.

When she saw no one she had to take a moment to collect herself. She told herself it was just the wind, but that's what made it unnatural. The wind doesn't have hands…

"Come along!" Diamante called. "Unless you wish to have Arlax wait longer." The girl shook her head and ran as fast as she could in the dress.

* * *

><p><strong>Hey guys and gals! It's Shard588 here! Sorry about being all quiet and stuff. Some seriously <strong>_**weird**_** things have been going on in my life, one of which inspired me to write the ending of this chapter like this. **–waves hands around and imitates a ghost-

**Well, how do you like this chapter? Recap! [[SPOILERS!]] Scuffy turns out to be a princess named Silvia in another kingdom with an assassinated family, Arlax saved Diamante at least once and in the process betrayed his own Naga kind (sorta-ish…), and Xydrin is a half-dragon that can transform. ewe But what is under that hood of Diamante's? How was Scu- I mean Silvia- and Xydrin able to escape death? Why did Melody feel a hand from the wind? It's all coming later-ish.**

**Also, I've been thinking about holding a contest. It'll be an art contest for the cover of this series, "My King, My Naga, My Friend". Right now it's a pencil sketch of a snake wrapped around a shield with wings (All credit of the design goes to Scuffy! I only redrew something she made already!). But now I ask you, fellow readers, would you like to see a contest for this? Prizes are still to be determined but cameos are a definite possibility, as well as others like requests or dedicated chapters. I dunno.**

**And, as always, tell me ALL your comments in reviews and PMs! I love reading them, even if it's simple as "nice work" or something. But just remember I can only improve through critique and grammar correction. ESPECIALLY GRAMMAR CORRECTION! Lol**

**And, not trying to sound all that and stuff, but gifts are heart-warming and they give me tingles in my tummy. ;w; Attention is what drives me to make this stuff. If you have any gifts, pleeeeaaassse let me see them by any means necessary. If you type MKMNMF on deviantArt or #MKMNMF on Colors!3D you'll see some pretty cool work. But that's only if you want to, both searching and gifting.**

**What belongs to me:****  
>The story<br>Melody Hedgehog  
>Diamante Hedgehog<br>Arlax "Rattalia"  
>Gorlad<strong>

**What belongs to a dear friend/sister named Scuffy:  
><strong>**Lor Hedgehog  
>Silvia "Shendale"Scuffy "Rattalia"  
>Xydrin Hedge-Dragon<strong>


	7. Chapter 7- A Voice in the Wind

**Chapter seven:**_ A Voice in the Wind_

'_Clap, clap, clap_' Arlax brought his hands together thrice to silence the large mess hall.

Except the ironic thing is there was little about the room to call 'messy'. What would appear as a large ballroom at first glance was replaced with multiple tables of various shapes and sizes, not one of them sat less than five at a given time. All of them were draped with red cloth and had a three-tipped candelabrum per three guests at one sitting. And just as random as the tables were, so were the chairs. It varied from modest wooden chairs more commonly found in cottages to elegant chairs made of iron and were better-suited for a garden addition. Nonetheless, as misplaced as everything would initially be, the way the room was decorated and the furniture placed made it look as though everything belonged. And every one of those chairs had one person to carry, and each creature was even more so unique that anything else in the room. Most ranged from young adults to heads that had a glint of grey or a bald spot and the more common species were single-bred hedgehogs, foxes, felines, canines, and rodents. Although that didn't stop those who stood out as the uncommon sight of hybrids and winged-folk.

"I thank you all for attending this feast." Arlax began with a courteous smile. "With a month coming close to an end, even _I_ was beginning to think we would go without celebration. But as you know, our harvest was bountiful this year. Let us drink to that!"

"Here, here!" Everyone in the hall answered in unison, clinking goblets and cups in waves, then ending with a sip of their beverage.

"Second," Arlax continued. "I would like to announce it has been three months since my sisters and I have caught any illness, as prone as we are to colds and fevers." Another wave of _clinks_ and _clanks_. "We thank each and every one of you for your prayers and wishes of good health." The other three nagas nodded their heads approvingly to the large crowd.

"Third, I would like to remind you that my sister Neveah has chosen her event for her birthday celebration-. " A loud applause broke out and wouldn't stop until the king had to nod and gesture with his hands to calm the excited air. "But she has also chosen to keep it a secret until a week before. She is sure you will all find it very- how shall I put this- _amusing_." There was a devilish smirk as a black-and-white furred hedgehog (almost in complete contrast to Lusol) hit her forehead on the table repeatedly, softly muttering "Why me? Why me?..."

"Last… But certainly far from least…" Arlax moved on. "As you are aware, I had been summoned to Constan's traveling circus performance yesterday. Due to unexpected circumstances, Princess Neveah and Thorn had to go in my steed to uphold the traditional honor he so desperately claims exists." He shook his head with a sigh and there was a quiet laugh in the audience. "But, for once, I am glad he came." The air suddenly grew tense as the Naga moved away from his spot at the Royal Table (because he and his sisters were nagas, they had no need for chairs) and slowly made his way onto the hard floor a few tiny steps down where the others were.

"As much as we hope the war is over," He pressed on seriously, looking at different individuals as he passed. "As much as we want to say our kingdom is free from unfair inequality, cruel slavery, and disgusting abuse of power; as much as we want to promise every single child, brother, sister, mother, father, friend, neighbor, uncle, aunt, _everyone_… that there is no such thing as evil wherever our kingdom reaches… Every voice that says it lies. Injustice has a way of hiding in the shadows and places we'd least expect to exist. For one, a circus."

There was a hushed murmur and a few muffled gasps.

"A perfect place for those who wear a mask. Constan's circus did nothing _but_ wear a mask." Arlax was, by now, in the very middle of the whole room with everyone sitting on-edge or cringing at the words of terror. "And do you know the worst part? Sometimes, when you're surrounded by those who purposely wear a mask, you don't see the chains around those who have to wear a mask against their will. With faces imitating things you see every day in life surrounded by bright colors and loud music, you don't see the ones in tortured pain, trickling blood down their sleeves because the stripes have it blend so well! You don't see the fallen corpses because they've been discarded when you weren't looking! Discarded like apple cores along the dirt road, thinking someone else will take care of it because it's useless to them now.

"Had it not been for my dear sister…" Arlax looked back, exposing his puffy eyes enough so everyone could confirm a possible tear. "There may have been one, or even two, more apple cores lying in the dirt; forgotten… beaten… left to rot. It was because she was able to look past the fun and games shoved in her face she saw the bloodiest of all shadows. She heard a voiceless cry for help… A voice that was so scared, bruised, and tired it lost its only way of survival- sound. That, ladies and gentlemen, is the worst you can ever do to any living thing. Without a sound, you cannot give anyone a warning about the danger you're in. You cannot let others know what you need. You cannot tell people of the chains squeezing the mask over your face. You cannot tell… a single thing… you need help. How are you able to escape the dungeon with shackles about your wrists and ankles and a fire in your cell if you cannot cry out for help?

"But I'm walking off the path a bit." The King sighed after wiping his face. "My apologies, but I cannot stand those who take another's happiness for cruel, personal gain, especially when they feel no remorse to do so for years upon years, _especially_ when done to a child. A child has a heart bigger than this castle, bigger than this kingdom, but it is also the most fragile. Even more so than the surface of water. Because when a child's heart is stabbed with the very tip of a claw out of greed, anger, revenge, anything that kills the bearer's soul , it deforms the light radiating from it in twisted ways, quickly shrinking and destroying everything it's made of until it's nothing but another cut, damaged, blackened heart robbed of its innocence.

"And there I go again." He gave an insincere chuckle. "Before I go off again, let me introduce everyone here to two more members to our united family under this roof, the two Neveah and Thorn rescued from Constan's unjustly act." He stopped moving once he was at the table where Melody, Lor, Thorn, and a few other unfamiliar faces were. With a gentleman-offer, he extended a hand to first the one with white then to the one with brown to help stand. "Lor Hedgehog and Melody Hedgehog, both who had suffered, survived, and stayed by each other's side through what could only be described as Hell. A bond was made that only grew stronger when the pain grew worst. And I want each and every one of you-"

As Arlax kept going, Lor, who had been beaming with tearful eyes, looked at Melody. They each had a hand clasped together, and Melody had squeezed it several times. "Melody?" She whispered worriedly. "What's the matter?"

Melody's eyes were wide and her whole face was drained of its color. She was completely horror-struck at the crowd. Lor glanced back to the sea of faces and saw some that were closer look at them questionably.

"- And it is without further a-do," Arlax continued on obliviously with his speech. In the meantime, he had progressively moved away from that table to three away. Melody's vision swirled before her. Each face began to blend with one another and the back wall shifted away as if something was making everything stretch away from her. Her stomach gurgled so she instantly clutched it and fell forward slightly, leaning onto the table's edge.

"Melody?!" Lor called to her a bit louder. "Melody, what's wrong?!"

"-And everyone in this room, feeding on food grown by the farmers…"

Melody gagged. Some witnesses close by instinctly backed away.

"Scuffy! Wait!" Someone cried. Finally Arlax stopped talking to witness the problem just as one of the princess nagas grabbed Melody and charged their way out of the hall.

* * *

><p>"Hur-gh!" The hedgehog gagged again with her head leaning out a window.<p>

"Let it out, Melody." A timid voice said softly next to her. "Get it over and-"

She was interrupted by both Arlax appearing and Melody spewing her lunch… Well, whatever was left of the honey biscuits and tea.

"Oh gods!" Arlax exclaimed apologetically as he approached. "I-I'm so sorry! I-I didn't… _mean_ to do this!"

"There you go." The quiet one comforted, patting Melody's back. "Just let it all out."

"I'm so sorry!" Melody whimpered with disgusting chunks of half-digested crumbs spitting out with every word.

"No. Never apologize for this. We should be apologizing to you."

"_I_ should be apologizing." Arlax sniffed with his hands spreading all over his face. "I completely ignored you. I was completely full of myself I was-"

"Not now, Arlax." The Naga with a plump braid said hesitantly. "Right now someone needs to calm the whole mess hall down. They're probably worried sick."

"R-right…" Arlax nodded solemnly. "I'll… I'll go do that…" He took a big, raspy breath and straightened his posture. "Please, let me know as soon as you can anything that goes on."

"I promise." His sister answered as he turned around to head back. Then she turned to the softly crying hedgehog. "Are you feeling any better?" Melody slowly shook her head before she lurched over the window sill again to let out another gag, unable to spit anything else out. "Let me see if I can find Xydrin, all right? I'll return shortly." With a hesitant lingering glance, the princess turned away and followed Arlax.

What seemed like forever was actually two minutes at most. No one returned to offer their reassurance, but to Melody it was a good thing. She was red-hot embarrassed of her action and didn't dare to think what everyone thought of her. With her back against the wall she sat with her knees up and rested her head on top. The green dress was replaced earlier with the very same purple robe she thought she ruined soon after meeting the King. Thorn found her shortly before arriving to the gathering with the purple robe in-hand, saying Neveah was able to preserve it from water stains and wanted her to wear it again.

"I'm such an ungrateful thing…" Melody whispered her scold then inhaled sharply through her congested nasal.

"You know, why do people say that?" A voice asked in an up-beat tone. Melody jumped and looked around frantically.

"Wh-who said that?!"

"Nothing." It chuckled. "It was just the wind." Try as she may, she couldn't find anything that could speak within close proximity of her.

"P-please, _monsieur_! D-don't fright-ten me!"

"True. Otherwise you may just end up with your head over the sill again." He hummed. "All right. Look out the window." Melody did so and saw a grey hedgehog sitting ten feet away on the branch of a tree. Large bangs shot out of his forehead and covered one eye and his quills came out from the sides like hair and faded at the tips with black. He had crimson, baggy clothing draped over his relaxed body and had a pair of deep, dark red eyes. It was hard to tell if he looked stern or seductive with the way his mouth smirked and eyes half-open.

"Good evening, Melody." He said calmly. "You've been spoken of frequently over at the village."

"A-a-are…" Melody tried to speak, feeling her stomach churn again. "Are you from… The village?"

"Er, yes _and_ no…" He brought a hand up and twisted it slightly. "I came just now from the village, but my origins are of someplace else."

"How did… How did you get up there?" He shrugged.

"I don't know." He said as he casually leaned back and sighed with a smile. "A guy likes to be in places not everyone can go to, is that so bad?"

"I-I'm sorry... umm…"

"Oh! That's right! I haven't given my name yet! How rude of me!" With a stretched he stood up from where he sat and gave a bow. "Tempest Hedgehog at your service."

"Melody…" She replied, though immediately wanted to take it back since he already knew her name.

"I tried catching a moment with you earlier." He explained, grabbing a higher branch and hooking his legs over so that he hung upside-down. "But I don't think that dumb advisor wanted any part of it."

"What do you…?"

"Do you remember earlier today when Diamante was finished speaking with Xydrin?" He asked. "There was a chilly wind that felt like a hand?"

Melody gasped slightly. "That was you?"

"Sure was." He nodded with a chuckle. "In fact, I've known you a whole lot longer than you may think. Thankfully that damn circus caravan moved with the wind so I didn't have to completely mess with its nature."

"You've… been watching me?"

"From the moment you cried to your parents for forgiveness." Tempest said with a more serious tone. "From the second their heads turned away as the troupe took you away. A God-forsaken act unforgiveable in any way, shape, or form."

"If you've been… watching me, _monsieur_…"

"I know what you're going to ask, and I wish I could phrase it differently without lying at all." The one named after a storm took a long breath in, squeezing as much time as possible to phrase his words. "If I were to save you, it would have to end with you far away from Constan where no hand could ever reach you. Had I gone one way, you would have wound up in the same fate as I. Had I gone another, the second we fumbled you would have gone back and I would lose you maybe forever. The safest choice was to keep you in one place where I could watch and come up with a fool-proof plan to get you away _and_ keep you safe."

"Then were you the one-?"

"Who notified Arlax of the circus? Yes and no. You see, as we were approaching Rattalia territory, I snagged one of the circus' flyers and let the wind take it." From the inside of his shirt he pulled out a folded piece of cream-colored paper in the shape of a strange triangle. "Paper ravens work wonderful when traveling through the sky, and it's so simple, too. In any case, the paper flew to this very castle, but it was Neveah who picked it up. She was the one who offered to go the moment her brother hinted he was too busy to leave." He let out a sad chuckle. "I'm willing to bet she believed it was a sign from me because of the pure coincidence of a folded paper traveling in the wind to her."

A gentle breeze blew from the side and pushed Melody's hair. "Then how come-?" She tried to ask before Tempest gave her an amusing smile.

"I must make my departure, Melody." He declared, rocking on the branch his legs wrapped around. "I must ask you to never speak of our meeting. This must be kept a secret from Neveah completely."

"Why?"

"And I need to remind you to never doubt the wind when you ask where you need to go."

"W-wait! I still-!" Just then his legs gave way and his body plummeted down. Melody gasped and leaned over the window sill as she expected to watch in horror Tempest's body smash against the ground. "Got'cha!" He shouted with his face almost pressed against Melody's. She fell back with a startled yelp and landed on her back side.

"Sorry!" Tempest laughed good-heartedly. "I couldn't resist!" Melody managed to glimpse the outside of the window just as the grey wind-traveler flew off into the night sky with a strong wind tailing behind.

* * *

><p>"Nothing but a vial of lizard tongue mixed with roots of a targol plant." Xydrin tried to reassure as he offered the vial.<p>

"Melody, please." Scuffy pleaded. "As disgusting as it sounds, you'll feel better." Oh, how Melody desperately wanted to refuse the putrid greed and yellow liquid. Clenching her eyes she gulped the contents, feeling the stuff thicken in her throat as it trickled down to her empty stomach. She thought she'd up-chuck again but the slab covered her stomach, preventing her from doing so.

"At least she willingly drinks the medicine." Xydrin huffed, giving Scuffy a look.

"I- er…" The princess tried to wriggle out of this one, but found it much more difficult to do so.

"You won't be able to eat for a bit, Milady." Xydrin turned back to the scrunched-face hedgehog. "And I recommend good rest. I'll take you to your room. I was about to return to my own anyways."

As the hedge-dragon guided her through the dark hallways, every so often she looked to the windows to see the crescent moon smile at her. And every time she did so, she imagined Tempest smiling at her, saying '_remember, don't tell anyone_'.

* * *

><p><strong>Hey fellow Rattalian followers! It's yours truly, Shard588. First off, I wanted to make this a short chapter for reasons you'll probably never comprehend why (ahem- page number- ahem- OCD- ahem).<strong>

**Last chapter I mentioned to you guys about a contest, but so far I've heard nothing what you guys think. I also haven't gotten as many reviews as I would normally get. I'm sorry if I sound paranoid or something. I just wanna know what's up.**

**Now that that's out, how'd you guys like this one? Now that we have a **little**bit more info about Scuffy's character, I feel accomplished.**

**NEW CHARACTER! Tempest Hedgehog! As you can guess, yes, he's an elementalist. Now that I think of it, his power reminds me of 'Kaze No Stigma'. What was your reaction to his brief connection to Melody? Does his childish nature fit with the story and his role? Is Arlax a whole lot more arrogant with his own voice now that you've seen that side of him? Who would you like to see more of? (I plan to have more characters coming out soon, including the one mentioned briefly with the comparison to Lusol)**

**Mine:****  
>The Story<br>Melody Hedgehog  
>Arlax "Rattalia"<br>Diamante Hedgehog**

**Scuffy's:****  
>Lor Hedgehog<br>Xydrin Hedge-dragon  
>Scuffy "Rattalia"<strong>

**FrozenDarkness':****  
>Neveah "Rattalia"<br>Thorn Hedgehog  
>Tempest Hedgehog<strong>

**Emi-Chan's:****  
>Emi "Rattalia"<strong>


	8. Chapter 8- Maiden of the Moon

**Chapter eight: **_Maiden of the Moon_

Melody stared out the window, looking at the smiling moon. She couldn't sleep, even after Xydrin's consultations. Not after seeing that whole crowd look at her. The contents of lizard tongue and targol roots made a comforting cover on the inside of her stomach, as much as she hated the smell of her breath from it. But that cover provided what seemed to be a wall to keep her stomach supported from the inside. In a way, Scuffy was right. She did feel better. But that didn't stop her terrors from haunting her. Of course, why did it have to be now? Last night, as she recalled, she was able to get decent sleep even with a nightmare.

The brunette hedgehog glanced over to see Lor fast asleep in her bed with a book sitting in her lap and a candle dimly glowing next to her. Her best friend promised to stay up with her all night after the earlier incident, but probably couldn't even keep her eyes half-way open as soon as she grabbed that book.

Melody sighed and turned back to watch the pale moon. If only she could read. Maybe she could pick up any book lying around and see just what the story's about.

In the darkness, Melody heard a '_thunk_' from the ground. Then another, soon followed by another. It sounded like someone was flicking hard leather, like a saddle, next to her ear. As quickly as she could she ducked slightly so that only the top-half of her head was exposed past the bottom of the window and scanned the darkness for the source of that sound. Try as she may, though, nothing came into view. Before every _thunk_ there was a series of something stretching, like rope pulling flexible wood.

"Straighten your posture, Soluna." Someone scolded in the dark night. "Aim a little higher. Bend slightly…" '_Thunk_!' Melody swore she saw a flash of silver fly across the ground, then a discouraging growl. "Come on, Soluna. You can do so much better than this!" In curiosity Melody poked her head out from behind the ledge to try and find whoever it was stirring the night. Nearby she thought she saw something white, then it disappeared. She craned her neck forward a bit more to try and look past the darkness, and every now and then she saw a quick flash of small blots of white. As she focused more and more along the patterns, she started to distinguish a hedgehog figure with a bow.

She was entranced to see the figure so much she didn't realize how far she was leaning out the window until…

"Who goes there?!" The mysterious hedgehog demanded. Melody squeaked in surprised and ducked back down. Everything went silent, save her heart beating rapidly. When there was no other sound she squeezed her eyes shut, took a deep breath, and rose to look out.

"And what are you doing?" The black hedgehog asked with narrow eyes, crouched down in the tree. Melody jumped back, suddenly over-whelmed with a feeling of deja-vu. Tempest had the exact same greeting. How did she get up there anyway?!

"I-I-!" Melody stuttered. Now that she was closer she could see more features the firm girl before her had to show. She had a deep red cloak on over the parts of her body below her neck, like a crimson lake that glittered in whatever light that shone on it. Her face was black with a contrast of white patterns; her right eye, ears, and peculiar patterns along her short quills, a similar level of exotic patterns as Lusol.

In fact… Her contrasting patterns of black and white mimicked Lusol so well she looked as though she could be of the same blood-line. But there were factors playing against that, like how serious and strict she presented herself and how extreme she was the way she spoke, just asking 'what are you doing'. There was also a silver horn coming out of her forehead and pointing just above Melody's head.

Melody was still trying to find words to answer the girl. The one in shimmering red rolled her deep sea-blue eyes and gave an irritated sigh.

"Have you been spying on me?" She asked bluntly.

"N-N-No! I-I just-!" Figuring she'd get nowhere anytime soon, the girl placed her bow on her shoulder and plopped her rump on the branch. As thin as it was, it was phenomenal how she was able to keep balance with her heavy cloak and quiver of neatly organized arrows without so much as holding her arms out to catch herself.

"It seems you're feeling better since earlier." She changed topics, decreasing her firm tone a little. "You caused a rather scary commotion. You were on everyone's tongue through almost the entire banquet."

"I-I'm sorry…"

"For what?"

"For… For being such… a bother…"

"Who said you were?"

"No one. I just-"

"Well quit saying it." She gave a noisy, short exhale. "Because if you keep saying it, you're going to believe it. And once you believe it, you'll become it. _Then_ you'll start bothering people." She took a pause to recollect herself and in the meantime inspected the brunette. "So why are you up at this hour?"

"Umm…" Melody fiddled with her fingers. "I was… Umm… I-I can't sleep… Not after… that…"

"Fair enough. As for me, I'm in a certain cycle. Around this time I get insomnia and I can't sleep even if my life depended on it." Melody cringed slightly. She knew the feeling too well.

The unnamed girl must've seen her because she answered with an unamused tone, "Not _that_ cycle. I'm talking about- You know what, never mind." She glanced away irritably. "You're still new here. You wouldn't understand if it hit you in the head."

Melody covered her face to hide her shame. The girl before her made it sound as if something was her fault, as if she should already know whatever it was she was going to say. But she couldn't apologize. That would only make things worse.

"… Sorry." She heard a reluctant grumble. "Don't take what I say to heart. I don't really put effort to sugar-coat things on my mind when I speak. It's nothing personal."

There was an awkward pause between the two, with Melody giving a short nod and muffled sniffles as the only tension-prevention.

"Did I wake you?" The horned-one suddenly ask out of nowhere. Melody tried to answer no but she fell silent again. "My apologies if I did so. You see, I was training with the bow, as you can tell." She placed a hand along the string across her shoulder and revealed a red-wood bow of an impressive size. "Anytime I stress about my battle skills I have to straighten myself back up. If I cannot hone-in on my flaws and fix them then my position as Rattalia's general will disappear faster than a sparrow diving for its next meal."

"… Really?" Blue-eyes nodded.

"Think about it. I serve to protect the King and every Rattalian citizen in the kingdom. If my draw-backs get in the way of my duties even in the slightest, my opponents have an advantage and will use everything in their power to use it against me."

"That must be… a lot to bear. Do you ever get scared?" There were two strange factors playing with the mood on the environment. For one, the mysterious hedgehog was quickly becoming easier and easier to talk to. Second, Melody didn't know why, but she was very hesitant to ask said question. Why she even thought about asking it was a mystery to her.

"Fear is what drives me." The general closed her eyes slowly and looked to be thinking deeply about it. "I do what needs to be done because imagining every possible ending to someone's life is bad enough. What would I do if I wake one morning to see the King dead because I fell asleep on my night watch? if Princess Scuffy were to be kidnapped by another territory while we were traveling? if an army suddenly declared war on us out of nowhere and rampaged the village?" Melody pictured each scenario and flinched at the violence and blood. "You see it, too, don't you? That is the very thing that I prevent on my own."

Melody had no way to respond to that. It was a heavy burden just thinking about it. Why would anyone bring that upon themselves? One false step and the whole world could fall to darkness and despair.

"Your name is Melody, correct?" The blue-eyed hedgehog asked.

"Hmm? O-oh, _oui_."

"If you haven't heard me before when I was talking to myself, my name is Soluna." The general gave her a gentle look, but no smile. Like she was saying '_You're all right, no need to be scared anymore._' "Soluna Aluna Hedgehog."

"Aluna…" Melody repeated. "That's such a beautiful name."

"I believe my brother has already met you." Soluna continued. "Lusol Uníti Hedgehog?"

"_O-oui_. But… Uníti? Is that-?"

"Correct." Soluna nodded. "That is his middle name. It's also the English word unity, but that was only a mere coincidence, though he claims otherwise." She rolled her eyes as if she could hear his voice denying her right then. "Since King Arlax explained it to him what his name meant, he's been so full of himself his pride floods the castle."

"He must really enjoy that name." Melody laughed awkwardly.

"Gods, if only you knew half the story." Soluna pinched her forehead and massaged the point. "He tried converting children to a religion where they did nothing but worship his middle name. 'Unítians' if I remember correctly."

"Oh dear…" Melody replied quietly, scratching the side of her face. "He certainly has personality."

"If only you knew half of _that_."

"Hmm- Melody?" Someone drearily mumbled in the dim room. Soluna seemed to tense as she jumped to a pouncing position.

"Who's there?" Soluna whispered, glaring through the window.

"W-wait!" Melody tried to appease her. "I-it's just Lor! It's all right!"

"What's all right?" Lor yawned. Melody looked over to see Lor's white hair completely tangled up and fluffed out. Though she was still as radiant as fresh snow, her face replaced her fresh appearance with sleepy, out-of-it assumptions.

"Nothing, Lor." Melody said nervously. "I just- I can't sleep. That's all."

"Can't sleep…?" Lor repeated, smacking her tongue a few times. Then her eyes shot open. "Shoot! I said I would stay up with you!"

"It's all right, _mademoiselle_. No need to worry."

"Augh! I feel terrible now!" Lor slammed her palms into her face and growled some more.

"Don't feel bad, Lor." Soluna eased up and sat back down on the branch.

"Who said that?" Lor demanded as she shot glances everywhere in the room. "I swear to the gods, Melody, if there are ghosts in the castle-!"

"Sorry to disappoint, but I'm out the window."

"Out the window?" Lor looked where Melody was standing and started making her way there. "What, are you fly-!" She jumped when she saw the red-cloaked, horned hedgehog glaring at her.

"Boo." Soluna said unenthusiastically.

"Lor," Melody tried to explain calmly. "This is Soluna Aluna Hedgehog. She's the leader of the Rattalian army."

"And if you think _I'm_ scary, you should look at yourself." Soluna glanced away as she crossed her arms.

"Wha- Huh? H-hey!" Lor called.

"Just saying what's on my mind."

"Oh no…" Melody put her face in her arms resting on the window's ledge. This was not going smoothly. She was actually enjoying the fact she couldn't sleep. Talking with Soluna kept her distracted.

"All right," Soluna stood up from her spot. "It looks as though I am no longer needed. I'll take my leave to let you two work something out."

"W-wait!" Melody looked up and tried to reach for her. "Don't go! _S__e il vous plaît_!"

"I'll see the both of you another time." Soluna answered before jumping down. Melody followed to watch the scarlet cloak flutter behind her and neatly wrap around her as she landed before moving away and out of sight.

* * *

><p>"Forget about her, Melody." Lor huffed as she turned a page in her book. "She assumed we didn't want her, and that's her choice of thought. There's nothing you can do about it."<p>

"_Oui_…" Melody sighed as she readjusted the blanket warming her. Since Soluna's departure, Melody hadn't been able to speak firmly. She couldn't even focus her sight on anything. She just looked straight ahead and didn't pay any attention to the things around her, other than Lor's voice to a small extent.

"She wasn't the very social-type anyways." Lor went on. "You probably would've lost the conversation soon even if I hadn't woken up."

"_Oui_…"

"Melody, please," Lor set her book aside and looked at her. "You're not gonna be friends with every single living thing here. You will have some that can't stand you, and vise-versa."

"_Oui_…"

"… You're not even paying attention to me, are you?"

"_Oui_…"

"Melody!" Lor groaned, throwing her hands up in the air. "Get ahold of yourself! At this rate you'll be sleep-deprived and you're gonna make a fool of yourself in front of Arlax. Then you'll _really_ regret what happened."

"I-I'm sorry…" Melody whispered, covering her face and threatening another river of tears. Lor gave a noisy sigh and everything was quiet. In moments Melody felt something press onto her bed and creep closer to her.

"Stop blaming yourself." Lor whispered gently, trying to remove her best friend's hands from her face. "You've done nothing wrong. Please, stop crying." Even with her hands taken she kept her eyes closed tightly. Lor slipped a hand under her and slowly pulled her to sit-up. As soon as she had done so, she was quickly taken in a warm embrace.

"Don't you see?" Lor asked quietly. "It's unfair for you to blame yourself for so much. Arlax is doing so much to make us happy and you're making excuses to feel terrible. Don't you remember how peaceful it was in that spring? with Shard? How relaxing and worry-free everything seemed?"

The brunette nodded. It was really peaceful. For those few hours she felt empty, weighted down by nothing.

Then she remembered she was naked at one point in front of him. She cringed and tried to pull back, but Lor wouldn't have any of that. In response she even held on tighter.

"See? No matter what you think of the negative. Just… Take a moment to breathe before you jump to conclusions."

"I… I just- I can't-" Melody tried to explain with choppy breaths.

"Shh." Lor shushed her, putting a hand on the back of her head. "Don't make excuses. Feel what you have to and get over with it. If you're gonna fall, don't try and reach for something to grab onto unless you know you can get a firm grip. Just land, look for any injuries, and get right back up. It'll always get better the next time. You know why?" Melody shook her head very slightly. "Because you keep fighting to find the light in every dark room. When you find that light, even if it's so much as a little candle flickering, you hold onto it and make it brighter so you can find more light to hold onto and brighten the room. Do you understand?"

She smiled when she felt a nod. "Good, because that's what I'm doing right now. I'll stay right here with you until you shine again. So bright, in fact, you'll be another sun to make everyone else warm and never fear the darkness again. No come on, let's to get some sleep. I'll stay right here with you." Melody nodded again and, holding each other's hand, they pulled the covers to their necks and closed their eyes.

* * *

><p><strong>Hey guys! :D … TT-TT I'm sorry… This chapter took forever to get out… You guys didn't deserve to wait so long…<strong>

**So, re-cap time! Soluna 'Aluna' Hedgehog is the general of the Rattalian army and is twin-sister to Lusol 'Uníti' Hedgehog. Why are their names so pretty-sounding? And what's with the horn? Would that be part of the 'cycle' she mentioned earlier? What are your guesses? While you're at it, how exactly did Soluna receive the general position? If you remember the flashback two chapters ago, Nagas had absolutely no intention of listening to another race. So Arlax has bound to trust her with his life completely. What about the princesses? Wouldn't they have to trust her as well? ewe Ooh, the possibilities to answer questions.**

**Was this a slow chapter? Want more action next time? Have any comments? Love it and wanna explain why? Suggestions? Grammar errors?... You know the drill. xD I will read every single comment you guys write. Love 'yall and have an AWESOME December!**


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